German word

weiß

Pronunciation

IPA/vaɪ̯s/

Meaning

  • adjectivewhite

Example

Ich habe ein weißes T-Shirt.

I have a white T-shirt.

Illustration for weiß (white)

More examples

Bitte male den Kreis weiß an.

Please paint the circle white.

Core concept

A fresh sheet of snow or a plain white T-shirt reflects light without showing a noticeable hue.

Common phrases

  • weißes Papier

    white paper

  • weiße Zähne

    white teeth

Similar words

schneeweiß: Pure, strikingly bright white like clean snow.
weißlich: Nearly white, but not fully pure or bright.
blass: Pale-looking, especially in the face, and seeming weak or tired.
bleich: Drained of color, often suggesting fear, illness, or shock.

Definition in German

Das Wort weiß beschreibt eine sehr helle Farbe, in der kein anderer Farbton deutlich zu sehen ist.

Word origin

German weiß developed from Old High German wīz and Middle High German wîz, from Proto-Germanic *hwītaz, the source of English white.

Usage tips

  • In Ich weiß, weiß is the first-person singular form of wissen, meaning 'know', not the adjective 'white'.

Opposites

Related words

  • weißlichwhitishadjective
  • Weißwhitenoun

Word lists with this word