Learning the words and expressions that relate to a new language and culture can be puzzling, to say the least. And that’s just in one dimension. Put this learning into crossword puzzle format, and you’re bound to experience more… ups and downs. (Okay, we’ll cool it with the cross-wordplay.) Sure, resources like Babbel’s Review Manager are a great way to refresh yourself on all the German you’ve been learning. But if you’re looking to boost your brainpower and flex your mental muscles in a way that’s a little out of the box, what better way to practice what you’re learning about German language and culture than with a German crossword?
From grub to greetings to grammar, test your knowledge of all things German language and culture with this German crossword puzzle!
(Note: for the few answers that contain letters with umlauts — Ä or Ü, for this puzzle — learn about how to type them on your computer’s keyboard here or your phone’s keyboard here. Or you can type them directly and copy and paste them from here.)
If you’re stuck, skip to the end to see some of the clues linked to other articles and videos that can provide hints to the answers. Viel Glück!
German Crossword Clues (And Some Hints)
Across
1 — the name of a popular German marinated pot roast dish
3 — a traditional German egg noodle (don’t forget the umlaut!)
4 — the only African country to claim German as a national language
10 — how to say “thank you” in German
12 — the German equivalent of “cheers!” when making a toast
14 — the only other member of the Germanic language family that’s spoken more than German worldwide
18 — the German verb meaning “to understand”
19 — the country in which German shares official language status with Romansh and two others
20 — the German word for “why?”
Down
1 — the name for a thin cutlet of meat in Germany
2— the verb “to be” in German
5 — the German name for the city where Oktoberfest is held every year (don’t forget the umlaut!)
6 — the capital city of Germany
7 — ___schorle, the name for a popular German soft drink made with fizzy water and apple juice
8 — how to say “Germany” in German
9 — the title of address for an unmarried, often young, German-speaking woman — like “Miss” in English (don’t forget the umlaut!)
11 — the word for “refrigerator” in German, a combination of the words for “cool” and “wardrobe” (don’t forget the umlaut!)
13 — how to say “please” in German
15 — a German greeting literally meaning “Good day!”
16 — the only other language spoken more in Europe than German
17 — the country in South America with the most German speakers