Bunnies, eggs and bonfires: 10 German Easter words

(sg. (usually without article))

📌 Zu Ostern suchen die Kinder Eier.

→ At Easter the children look for eggs.

💡 Same root as English Easter 🐰 It may come from Ostara, a spring goddess.

Bonus Easter Sunday = der Ostersonntag · Easter Monday = der Ostermontag

⚠ Usually no article: Frohe Ostern! · zu Ostern = at Easter

(Pl. die Eier)

📌 Zum Frühstück esse ich ein Ei.

→ I eat an egg for breakfast.

💡 Keep an ‘eye’ out for the Ei at the egg hunt 🥚

Bonus Easter egg = das Osterei

⚠ The plural is die Eier.

(Pl. die Hasen)

📌 Der Osterhase bringt den Kindern bunte Eier.

→ The Easter bunny brings the children colourful eggs.

💡 A sibling of English hare 🐇 The Easter bunny is der Osterhase.

⚠ It's a weak noun: den Hasen, dem Hasen. A pet rabbit is usually das Kaninchen.

(Pl. die Lämmer)

📌 Im Frühling bekommen die Schafe Lämmer.

→ In spring the sheep have lambs.

💡 English lamb, minus the silent b plus an extra m 🐑

Bonus Some families bake a lamb-shaped cake for Easter: das Osterlamm.

⚠ The plural adds an umlaut and -er: die Lämmer

(Pl. die Bräuche)

📌 Ostereier zu bemalen ist ein alter Brauch.

→ Painting Easter eggs is an old custom.

💡 Same root as brauchen (to use) 🏮 A custom is the way things have always been done.

Bonus plural: die Bräuche · customs and traditions = Sitten und Bräuche

(bunt – bunter – am buntesten)

📌 Im Herbst sind die Blätter bunt.

→ In autumn the leaves are colorful.

💡 Possibly from Latin punctus (dot) 🎨 Picture dots of every colour.

Bonus coloured pencil = der Buntstift

(Pl. die Frühjahre)

📌 Im Frühjahr ziehen wir um.

→ We're moving in the spring.

💡 früh (early) + Jahr (year) = the early part of the year 🌷 Ends in das Jahr, so it's das.

Bonus der Frühling means the same and is very common.

(versteckt sich – hat sich versteckt)

📌 Die Katze versteckt sich unter dem Bett.

→ The cat is hiding under the bed.

💡 Think of yourself stuck (stecken) somewhere out of sight 🙈 Hide-and-seek is Verstecken spielen.

⚠ Without sich it means to hide something: Der Osterhase versteckt die Eier.

(Pl. die Nester)

📌 Die Vögel bauen im Frühling ein Nest im Baum.

→ Birds build a nest in the tree in spring.

💡 Spelt exactly like English nest 🪺

Bonus das Osternest = a child's basket of Easter treats

⚠ The plural is die Nester.

(Pl. die Küken)

📌 Die Henne passt auf ihre Küken auf.

→ The hen is looking after her chicks.

💡 Same root as English chicken 🐣 Cheep cheep, Küken!

Bonus The youngest in a group is jokingly called das Küken too.