Yes — every German noun is capitalized, wherever it appears in the sentence: der Hund, die Liebe, das Frühstück. It’s one of the few German rules with virtually no exceptions, and it’s actually helpful: you can see the nouns in a sentence at a glance.
What gets a capital letter in German
| Capitalized | Example |
|---|---|
| All nouns | Der Mann kauft ein Brot. |
| The first word of a sentence | Heute regnet es. |
| Names | Anna, Berlin, Deutschland |
| Formal “you” (Sie, Ihnen, Ihr) | Wie geht es Ihnen? |
| Verbs and adjectives used as nouns | das Lesen, etwas Neues |
What stays lowercase
| Lowercase | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| ich (unlike English “I”) | Morgen komme ich. | Tomorrow I’ll come. |
| Adjectives of nationality | ein deutsches Auto | a German car |
| Days as adverbs | montags, abends | on Mondays, in the evenings |
| du, dich, dir (informal) | Wie geht es dir? | How are you? |
| sich (even with Sie) | Setzen Sie sich. | Please sit down. |
Note the difference: the language is a noun, so it’s capitalized — Ich spreche Deutsch, Mein Deutsch ist gut — but the adjective isn’t: die deutsche Sprache.
When other words become nouns
A verb or adjective becomes a noun — and gets a capital — when it has an article or follows etwas, nichts, viel, alles:
| Word | As a noun | English |
|---|---|---|
| lesen | das Lesen, beim Lesen | reading |
| essen | das Essen | food, the meal |
| neu | etwas Neues | something new |
| gut | alles Gute | all the best |
| krank | der Kranke | the sick man |
This is called Nominalisierung.
Why does German capitalize nouns?
It’s a historical writing convention. In the 16th and 17th centuries, printers began capitalizing important words for emphasis; over time this became a rule for all nouns, and it was fixed in the German spelling standard. English and Danish used to do something similar but dropped it — German kept it. Today it helps readers: in a long German sentence, the capital letters show you instantly where the nouns are.
Is “ich” capitalized?
No. Unlike English “I,” ich is only capitalized at the start of a sentence: Ich komme but Morgen komme ich.
Common mistakes
- ❌ ich habe einen hund. → ✅ Ich habe einen Hund.
- ❌ Morgen komme Ich. → ✅ Morgen komme ich.
- ❌ ein Deutsches Auto → ✅ ein deutsches Auto
- ❌ wie geht es ihnen? (formal) → ✅ Wie geht es Ihnen?
- ❌ etwas neues → ✅ etwas Neues
Frequently asked questions
Do nouns need to be capitalized in German?
Yes, always — every noun, in any position.
Do you always capitalize “ich” in German?
No, only at the beginning of a sentence.
Which words are not capitalized in German?
Verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns (except formal Sie), ich and du in the middle of a sentence, and nationality adjectives.
Why do Germans capitalize nouns?
It’s a writing tradition from the early modern period that became an official rule — and it makes long sentences easier to read.
Is “Sie” always capitalized?
Formal Sie (you), yes. sie meaning “she” or “they” is lowercase.
Practice and go deeper
- Personalpronomen: sie, sie or Sie
- Nominalisierung
- Bestimmter Artikel
- Why Is It Das Mädchen?
