All German word comparisons · Back to the topic overview
Meaning, sentence patterns and examples
| Word | Core meaning | Typical context | Grammar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wohnung | apartment; residential unit | renting or describing a home | die Wohnung; plural Wohnungen |
| Wohnsitz | place of residence | residence location; administrative descriptions | der Wohnsitz; plural Wohnsitze |
| Unterkunft | accommodation; place to stay | travel; guest stays; finding lodging | die Unterkunft; plural Unterkünfte |
Wohnung
Meaning and usage: Wohnung usually refers to a residential unit, often containing several rooms. Use it when discussing rent, the kitchen, or moving into an apartment. It identifies the kind of living space more specifically than Unterkunft does. It is not the usual name for a hotel room.
Grammar: Feminine: die Wohnung, genitive der Wohnung, plural die Wohnungen. Common combinations include eine Wohnung mieten and eine Wohnung beziehen. With in, location uses dative: in einer Wohnung; moving into it uses accusative: in eine Wohnung.
Unsere Wohnung hat zwei Zimmer und einen Balkon.
Our apartment has two rooms and a balcony.
Wir ziehen nächste Woche in die neue Wohnung.
We are moving into the new apartment next week.
Wohnsitz
Meaning and usage: Wohnsitz foregrounds where a person resides, rather than the rooms or building layout. You may encounter it on forms or in phrases describing someone's residence. This language distinction does not establish any particular legal registration requirement.
Grammar: Masculine: der Wohnsitz, genitive des Wohnsitzes, plural die Wohnsitze. A common construction is seinen Wohnsitz in + place haben. The expression ohne festen Wohnsitz describes someone without a fixed residence. The plural exists, though ordinary conversation often uses the singular.
Sie hat ihren Wohnsitz in Hamburg.
Her place of residence is Hamburg.
Unterkunft
Meaning and usage: Unterkunft names a place where someone can stay. It can be a hotel, hostel, room, or apartment, so it does not promise a particular building type. Temporary lodging is a central use, but duration alone is not a reliable test for every context.
Grammar: Feminine: die Unterkunft, genitive der Unterkunft, plural die Unterkünfte. Duden notes that the plural is relatively uncommon in the general accommodation sense; comparing individual places to stay makes it natural. Useful combinations include eine Unterkunft suchen and eine Unterkunft buchen.
Für das Wochenende suchen wir eine günstige Unterkunft.
We are looking for affordable accommodation for the weekend.
Overlap and context
If you rent an apartment for a holiday, it is a Wohnung and can be described as your Unterkunft. If you live there, it may also be connected with your Wohnsitz. The nouns answer different questions: what living space, where residence is located, and where someone can stay. Avoid treating them as labels for three mutually exclusive buildings.
Common mistakes
- Do not use Wohnsitz when asking whether an apartment has a balcony.
- Do not assume Unterkunft always means a hotel or hostel.
- Remember the umlaut in Unterkünfte; Wohnungen and Wohnsitze have different plural patterns.
Memory aid: Wohnung describes the home; Wohnsitz identifies residence; Unterkunft provides a place to stay.
Try it
Complete a travel request: Ich brauche für zwei Nächte eine ___.
Show the answer
Unterkunft
You need a place to stay without specifying an apartment or a residence location.