German for everyday life › Road signs
German road sign vocabulary: 28 useful words
Signs in Germany combine symbols, supplementary panels and short written labels. These words help you recognise common street language such as Einbahnstraße, Umleitung and Vorfahrt.
Three words to recognise first
Einbahnstraße means one-way street, Umleitung means diversion or detour, and Vorfahrt means right of way. The actual traffic rule comes from the complete sign and any supplementary panel, not from vocabulary alone.
Types of road
| German | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|
| dieStraße | die Straßen | street, road |
| dieEinbahnstraße | die Einbahnstraßen | one-way street |
| dieFußgängerzone | die Fußgängerzonen | pedestrian zone |
| derFußweg | die Fußwege | footpath |
| derRadweg | die Radwege | cycle path |
| dieAutobahn | die Autobahnen | motorway, highway |
| dieKreuzung | die Kreuzungen | junction, intersection |
Signs and rules
| German | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|
| dasSchild | die Schilder | sign |
| dasVerbotsschild | die Verbotsschilder | prohibition sign |
| dieVorfahrt | — | right of way, priority |
| dieVorfahrtstraße | die Vorfahrtstraßen | priority road |
| dasStoppschild | die Stoppschilder | stop sign |
| dieGeschwindigkeitsbegrenzung | die Geschwindigkeitsbegrenzungen | speed limit |
| dasParkverbot | die Parkverbote | parking prohibition |
| dieUmleitung | die Umleitungen | diversion, detour |
| derZebrastreifen | die Zebrastreifen | pedestrian crossing, zebra crossing |
| dieAmpel | die Ampeln | traffic light |
| derNotausgang | die Notausgänge | emergency exit |
Around town
| German | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|
| dieBaustelle | die Baustellen | roadworks, construction site |
| dieAusfahrt | die Ausfahrten | exit for vehicles |
| dieEinfahrt | die Einfahrten | entrance for vehicles |
| derAusgang | die Ausgänge | exit for pedestrians or buildings |
| dieTankstelle | die Tankstellen | petrol station, gas station |
| derBahnhof | die Bahnhöfe | railway station |
| dieHaltestelle | die Haltestellen | bus or tram stop |
| dasRathaus | die Rathäuser | town hall |
| dieApotheke | die Apotheken | pharmacy |
| diePostleitzahl | die Postleitzahlen | postcode, ZIP code (PLZ) |
Useful phrases for asking directions
- Entschuldigung, wo ist der Bahnhof?Excuse me, where is the railway station?
- Ist das hier eine Einbahnstraße?Is this a one-way street?
- Wie komme ich zum Rathaus?How do I get to the town hall?
- Gilt hier Parkverbot?Is parking prohibited here?
- Ich glaube, wir sind falsch gefahren.I think we went the wrong way.
Source and scope
For the official names and legal meaning of traffic signs, use Germany's Straßenverkehrs-Ordnung (StVO), Annex 2. This page is a language-learning aid and does not replace traffic law, the complete sign at the roadside or driving instruction.
When you meet an unfamiliar word on a sign, photograph it and turn it into a German card with pronunciation and an example sentence.
Learn German from your surroundings