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German vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "backwards" in German?
rückwärts
In German, "backwards" is rückwärts.
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Pronunciation
Say RUK-vairts. The u is short like in English book, and the w sounds like v.
Grammar notes
Rueckwaerts is an adverb meaning backward or in reverse. It is often used for movement.
Example sentence
Das Auto fährt rückwärts aus der Garage.
The car drives backward out of the garage.
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How to remember rückwärts
Rueck means back, and waerts adds the sense of moving in that direction.
Related words
- above über
- behind hinten
- below unten
- inside innen
- left links
- next to neben
- north norden
- south-east südosten
- south-west südwesten
Browse all German words in the glossary.
Questions about rückwärts
How do you say "backwards" in German?
In German, "backwards" is rückwärts. It is a noun.
How is rückwärts written in German?
rückwärts is written using the standard German script.
How is rückwärts used in a sentence?
Use rückwärts as you would use the equivalent noun in English. For example: Das Auto fährt rückwärts aus der Garage. (The car drives backward out of the garage.).
Where can I practice German words for free?
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"Backwards" in other languages
Curated by Callan Ratcliffe
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