All German word comparisons · Back to the topic overview
Meaning, sentence patterns and examples
| Word | Core meaning | Typical context | Grammar |
|---|---|---|---|
| frei | free; available; unrestricted | vacant seats; free time; freedom; some price expressions | adjective with endings; frei von + dative |
| kostenlos | free of charge | price; services; access without payment | adjective; kostenlose before a feminine noun |
| umsonst | free of charge; in vain | no-payment offers; unsuccessful effort | adverb; unchanged; not an adjective before nouns |
frei
Meaning and usage: Frei describes freedom from a restriction, an empty or available place, or available time. It also means no charge in established contexts such as freier Eintritt. A freies Zimmer, however, is an available room; it does not imply that you can stay without paying.
Grammar: Adjective: ein freier Platz, die freie Wahl. Predicate and adverb forms are unchanged: der Platz ist frei. Frei von + dative identifies what is absent. In frei haben, it means have time off; the adjective itself has no article or noun plural.
Ist dieser Platz noch frei?
Is this seat still available?
Am Montag habe ich frei.
I have Monday off.
kostenlos
Meaning and usage: Kostenlos specifically says that something costs nothing in the relevant offer or situation. It fits a brochure, a service, or participation without a fee. It does not describe an empty seat or personal freedom, so it cannot replace every meaning of English “free.”
Grammar: It takes adjective endings before nouns: eine kostenlose Beratung. After sein or when used adverbially, it stays kostenlos: die Teilnahme ist kostenlos. Adjective endings follow the noun phrase's case, number, and gender; no fixed preposition is required.
Die Stadt bietet eine kostenlose Führung an.
The city offers a free guided tour.
umsonst
Meaning and usage: Umsonst can describe receiving something without payment. It also describes an effort with no hoped-for result, or something done without a reason. Context normally resolves the meaning, but an isolated sentence about work or effort may be ambiguous.
Grammar: Adverb: it does not take adjective endings. Say ich bekomme das umsonst rather than eine umsonste Beratung. In ordinary neutral writing, use umsonst directly; für umsonst is colloquial. Learn the two main meanings with full sentences.
Die Postkarten gibt es hier umsonst.
The postcards are free here.
Wir haben umsonst auf den Bus gewartet.
We waited for the bus in vain.
Overlap and context
Der Eintritt ist frei, kostenlos, or umsonst can all indicate that admission costs nothing. A seat being frei only indicates availability. Wir haben umsonst gearbeitet could mean unpaid work or wasted effort; add context or use kostenlos or vergeblich if precision matters. The three words are not ranked by generosity or quality.
Common mistakes
- Do not assume a free room, ein freies Zimmer, is kostenlos.
- Do not form umsonste as an adjective: use kostenlose.
- Do not interpret every umsonst as a price claim; waiting umsonst is often waiting in vain.
Memory aid: Kostenlos has no Kosten; frei needs context; umsonst may mean no payment or no result.
Try it
A café chair is unoccupied. Complete: Der Stuhl ist ___.
Show the answer
frei
The question concerns availability, not whether the chair costs anything.