Today's words · 🔧 Home repairs
Something's broken! 10 German words for home repairs
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German flats are solid, but things still break — usually on a Sunday night.
It's a winter morning. The radiator is cold, and the kitchen tap has been dripping all night. You need to call the caretaker, but how do you say “blocked” or “leaking” in German?
Today's ten words are for when something goes wrong at home. With them you can say exactly what's broken and who you need to call — and stay calm when the tradesman turns up! 🔧
📋 The ten words at a glance
- kaputt — broken, out of order; worn out
- funktionieren — to work, function
- reparieren — to repair, fix
- der Wasserhahn — tap, faucet
- der Hausmeister — caretaker, janitor
- der Handwerker — tradesman, craftsman
- der Klempner — plumber
- die Heizung — heating; radiator
- undicht — leaky, leaking; not airtight
- verstopft — blocked, clogged; (nose) stuffy; constipated
🧠 Words, examples and memory tricks
kaputt
[ka-PUT]broken, out of order; worn out📌 Mein Handy ist kaputt.
→ My phone is broken.
💡 “Kaputt!” sounds like something snapping 💥 English borrowed it too: kaput.
Bonus For people it means worn out: Ich bin total kaputt.
funktionieren
[foonk-tsyo-NEE-ren]to work, function(funktioniert – hat funktioniert)
📌 Der Aufzug funktioniert nicht.
→ The lift isn't working.
💡 English function + -ieren ⚙️ When it doesn't work, just add nicht.
Bonus Der Aufzug funktioniert nicht. = The lift isn't working.
reparieren
[reh-pa-REE-ren]to repair, fix(repariert – hat repariert)
📌 Kannst du mein Fahrrad reparieren?
→ Can you fix my bike?
💡 Almost the same as repair 🛠️ -ieren verbs skip ge- in the perfect: hat repariert.
Bonus Can you fix it? = Können Sie das reparieren?
der Wasserhahn
[VASS-er-hahn]tap, faucet(Pl. die Wasserhähne)
📌 Der Wasserhahn in der Küche tropft die ganze Nacht.
→ The kitchen tap drips all night.
💡 Wasser (water) + Hahn (rooster)! Picture a rooster-head tap spouting water 🐓
⚠ Plural has an umlaut: die Wasserhähne
der Hausmeister
[HOWS-my-ster]caretaker, janitor(Pl. die Hausmeister · Swiss: der Abwart (f: die Abwartin))
📌 Ruf den Hausmeister an, die Heizung ist kaputt.
→ Call the caretaker, the heating is broken.
💡 Haus (house) + Meister (master) = the master of your building 🏠 First call when something breaks!
Bonus In Switzerland: der Abwart
der Handwerker
[HANT-vair-ker]tradesman, craftsman(Pl. die Handwerker (f: die Handwerkerin))
📌 Morgen kommt ein Handwerker und repariert die Heizung.
→ Tomorrow a tradesman is coming to repair the heating.
💡 Hand + Werk (work) + -er = someone who works with their hands 👷 Like handiwork.
Bonus A woman: die Handwerkerin
der Klempner
[KLEMP-ner]plumber(Pl. die Klempner (f: die Klempnerin))
📌 Der Klempner kommt morgen und repariert die undichte Leitung.
→ The plumber is coming tomorrow to fix the leaking pipe.
💡 Hear the “klemp, klemp” of a hammer on a metal pipe 🔩 Water trouble? Klempner!
⚠ In southern Germany and Austria it's usually Installateur.
die Heizung
[HY-tsoong]heating; radiator(Pl. die Heizungen)
📌 Die Heizung funktioniert nicht, es ist kalt in der Wohnung.
→ The heating isn't working, it's cold in the apartment.
💡 heizen (to heat, from heiß = hot) + -ung 🔥 -ung means it's die.
Bonus to turn the heating on = die Heizung anmachen / aufdrehen
undicht
[OON-dikht]leaky, leaking; not airtight📌 Das Dach ist undicht, es tropft in den Flur.
→ The roof leaks and water drips into the hallway.
💡 un- (not) + dicht (tight) = not tight, so it leaks 💧
Bonus a leak = eine undichte Stelle (also for leaked secrets!)
verstopft
[fair-SHTOPFT]blocked, clogged; (nose) stuffy; constipated📌 Die Toilette ist verstopft, wir müssen den Hausmeister anrufen.
→ The toilet is blocked, we need to call the caretaker.
💡 English stop is hiding inside 🚽 The water stops, the toilet's verstopft.
Bonus Also for a stuffy nose: Meine Nase ist verstopft.
🇩🇪 A spoonful of German culture
If you rent in Germany, bigger repairs are usually the job of your landlord (Vermieter) or the property management (Hausverwaltung). The key is to report a problem quickly before trying to fix it yourself. Sending a photo by email helps.
Some leases say the tenant pays for small repairs, though. It's worth checking your own rental contract (Mietvertrag).
And if you're locked out and call a locksmith (Schlüsseldienst), always ask roughly what it will cost before they come. The more urgent it feels, the more you should check! 🔑
✅ Quick quiz
Q. The toilet won't flush and the water keeps rising. What do you tell the caretaker?
- ① Die Heizung ist undicht.
- ② Ich repariere den Hausmeister.
- ③ Die Toilette ist verstopft.
Show the answer
③ Die Toilette ist verstopft.
verstopft = blocked — exactly what you say about a toilet that won't drain.
Pick one thing in your home that's kaputt and practise calling the caretaker about it, out loud. If nothing's broken, lucky you! 🏡
🔜 Tomorrow's topic: ⏰ Time & appointments