This Is The Longest Word In German (79 Letters)

Want to know what the longest word in German is?

The longest word in the German language is Donaudampfschifffahrtselektrizitätenhauptbetriebswerkbauunterbeamtengesellschaft, which loosely translates to "Association for Subordinate Officials of the Head Office Management of the Danube Steam Shipping Electrical Services".

It's is made up of 25 syllables (Do-nau-dampf-schiff-fahrts-e-lek-tri-zi-tä-ten-haupt-be-triebs-werk-bau-un-ter-be-am-ten-ge-sell-schaft) and 79 letters in total.

This German word is a compound noun formed by stringing together several words to create a specific - albeit somewhat ridiculous - term.

Here's a breakdown of the components added to form the word Donaudampfschifffahrtselektrizitätenhauptbetriebswerkbauunterbeamtengesellschaft:

• Donau (Danube): The second-longest river in Europe.
• Dampf (steam): Referring to steam-powered.
• Schiff (ship): A vessel for travel on water.
• Fahrt (navigation/travel): The act of traveling or navigating.
• Elektrizitäten (electrical services): Pertaining to electricity.
• Haupt (main/head): Indicating the main office.
• Betriebswerk (operating plant): A facility or workshop.
• Bau (construction): The act or process of building.
• Unter (subordinate): Lower in rank.
• Beamten (officials): Government or company officials.
• Gesellschaft (association/company): A group formed for a particular purpose.

By combining these words, the term describes a fictional association of subordinate officials working in the main construction office of the Danube Steam Shipping Company's electrical services department.

In German (and quite uniquely), compound nouns are formed by stringing together words without spaces, allowing for the creation of very lengthy words to express complex concepts.