das Herz
heart
Das Herz (the heart) refers to both the physical organ and the seat of feeling in German, just like in English. It is a neuter noun, taking das as its definite article, and forms the plural with -en: die Herzen. Body parts in German don't follow one fixed gender rule, so Herz being neuter is something to memorize alongside its forms.
Herz is grammatically unusual because it behaves like a mixed noun in some cases. In the genitive singular it becomes des Herzens (of the heart), and in the dative singular it can take dem Herzen instead of the expected dem Herz. This older ending appears in fixed phrases and formal writing.
Figurative uses are very common. Von ganzem Herzen means "with all my heart" or "wholeheartedly". Hand aufs Herz (hand on heart) asks someone to be honest. Es liegt mir am Herzen literally translates to "it lies on my heart" and means "it's important to me". Mein Herz schlägt für dich (my heart beats for you) is a common romantic phrase.
One of the most common everyday uses comes from the adjective herzlich (cordial, warm). Herzlichen Glückwunsch is the standard German "congratulations", and herzlich willkommen is "a warm welcome".
Pronunciation: Herz is one syllable, pronounced [hɛrts]. The "z" sounds like "ts" in English "cats". The plural Herzen is "HER-tsen", with stress on the first syllable.
Article / Gender
English
heart
Singular
das Herz
Plural
die Herzen
das Herz appears in the following vocabulary collections:
Ich höre mein Herz.
I hear my heart.
The object comes after the verb.
Mein Herz ist ruhig.
My heart is calm.
Predicative adjective follows the verb 'sein'.
Das Kind fasst das Herz auf dem Bild an.
The child touches the heart on the picture.
Separable verb 'anfassen' sends the prefix to the end.
- What does Herz mean in German?
- Herz means "heart" in German, covering both the physical organ and the seat of feeling. It is a neuter noun, so it takes das as its definite article (das Herz), and its plural is die Herzen.
- Is Herz masculine, feminine, or neuter?
- Herz is neuter, so it takes das. Body parts in German don't follow a single gender rule, so the neuter assignment is something to memorize rather than predict.
- What is the plural of Herz?
- The plural is die Herzen, formed by adding -en to the stem. The same pattern appears in the dative singular (dem Herzen) and genitive singular (des Herzens), which is unusual for a neuter noun and is a leftover from older German declension patterns.
- How do you pronounce Herz?
- Herz is pronounced [hɛrts] in one syllable. The "z" makes a "ts" sound, like in English "cats". The "r" is the standard German uvular r, softer and less rolled than in Spanish or Italian.
- What does Herzlichen Glückwunsch mean?
- Herzlichen Glückwunsch is the standard German way to say "congratulations". It literally translates to "heartfelt congratulation" and uses the adjective herzlich, which comes from Herz. The longer form Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag means "happy birthday".