So, you’re working in tech 👨💻 and either living in Germany or collaborating with German clients. Your code might be clean, but your German? Not so much. 😅
Here’s the good news: You don’t need to speak perfect German to thrive in tech — but you do need the right vocabulary to survive meetings, read documentation, and not blank out when someone says “Schick mir den Quellcode bitte.”
This article is your no-BS list of must-know German words and phrases for developers and IT professionals. Save it, study it, and avoid sounding lost in translation.
🖥️ General Tech Terms
| German | English |
|---|---|
| die IT (pron. ee-teh) | IT / Information Technology |
| die Technik | Technology / Engineering |
| das Gerät | Device |
| das System | System |
| die Software | Software |
| die Hardware | Hardware |
| die Anwendung | Application (App) |
| die Datei | File |
| der Ordner | Folder |
| der Bildschirm | Screen / Monitor |
| der Rechner / Computer | Computer |
👨💻 Developer-Specific Vocabulary
| German | English |
|---|---|
| der Entwickler | Developer |
| die Entwicklung | Development |
| der Code / Quellcode | Code / Source Code |
| das Programmieren | Programming |
| die Programmiersprache | Programming Language |
| die Schnittstelle | Interface (API/UI) |
| das Backend / Frontend | Backend / Frontend |
| die Datenbank | Database |
| der Server | Server |
| das Repository (Repo) | Repository (Git etc.) |
| der Fehler / Bug | Error / Bug |
| der Build | Build (same in German tech) |
| das Update / Upgrade | Update / Upgrade |
🧠 Useful Verbs in Tech Context
| German Verb | English Meaning |
|---|---|
| programmieren | to program |
| entwickeln | to develop |
| debuggen (yes, it exists) | to debug |
| testen | to test |
| laden / herunterladen | to load / download |
| hochladen | to upload |
| installieren | to install |
| konfigurieren | to configure |
| abstürzen (System) | to crash (system) |
| kompilieren | to compile |
🧾 Real Phrases You’ll Hear at Work
“Kannst du den Code bitte pushen?”
Can you push the code, please?
“Ich habe einen Bug gefunden, der das Frontend crasht.”
I found a bug that crashes the frontend.
“Wir müssen die API-Schnittstelle neu konfigurieren.”
We need to reconfigure the API interface.
“Die Anwendung läuft nicht auf dem Testserver.”
The app isn’t running on the test server.
“Check bitte das Repo, ich hab schon den Pull Request erstellt.”
Check the repo — I’ve already created the PR.
German tech teams often mix in English terms — but with German grammar and pronunciation. So don’t be surprised if you hear:
“Wir müssen das nochmal debuggen und dann den Build neu starten.”
Welcome to Denglish for Devs. 💀
🧠 Pro Tips
- Listen for borrowed English: Lots of terms are used in English but treated like German (der Commit, das Backup, die API).
- Learn noun genders: It’s die Software, der Server, das Script — article errors scream “I’m a foreigner.”
- Understand German context cues: Even when code is in English, meetings, tickets, and JIRA comments might not be.
📂 Bonus: Workplace Buzzwords You’ll See in Emails
| German | English Equivalent |
|---|---|
| das Ticket | Ticket (e.g., JIRA) |
| die Besprechung / das Meeting | Meeting |
| die Rückmeldung | Feedback / Response |
| der Zeitplan | Timeline / Schedule |
| die Freigabe | Approval |
| die Umsetzung | Implementation |
| das Feature | Feature |
🚀 Final Thoughts
You don’t need to translate if, for, or while — those are universal.
But learning the right workplace vocabulary can be the difference between confidently presenting your solution and just nodding through a meeting.
So don’t waste time memorizing Goethe quotes.
If you’re a dev, learn the words you’ll actually use.