01
indisch
Indian
Relating to the country of India, its people, language, or culture.
example
Wir gehen heute Abend in ein indisches Restaurant.
We're going to an Indian restaurant this evening.
indisch
Indian
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
01 / 02
Usage tips
Adjective formation
The adjective 'indisch' (Indian) is derived from the country name 'Indien' (India) with the suffix '-isch'. This pattern is very common for forming adjectives referring to nationalities or regions.
EXAMPLE
Die spanische Kultur ist sehr vielfältig.
Spanish culture is very diverse.
False friend
Careful: 'indisch' (Indian) refers exclusively to things or people from the country of India. Unlike the English word 'Indian', it is never used in German for the Indigenous peoples of the Americas.
EXAMPLE
Er kocht gerne scharfe indische Gerichte.
He likes cooking spicy Indian dishes.
Typical collocations
The adjective is very often used in connection with culture and cuisine. Typical combinations are 'indisches Essen' (Indian food), 'indische Gewürze' (Indian spices), 'indische Musik' (Indian music), or 'indische Kleidung' (Indian clothing).
EXAMPLE
Ich liebe den Geruch von indischen Gewürzen.
I love the smell of Indian spices.
Geographical names
The historical meaning of 'indisch' (Indian) is now almost only present in fixed geographical names. The best-known example is 'der Indische Ozean' (the Indian Ocean).
EXAMPLE
Die Insel Mauritius liegt im Indischen Ozean.
The island of Mauritius is located in the Indian Ocean.
Compare with
indisch vs Inder
Indian
'indisch' and 'der Inder' are both connected to India, but grammatically they are not the same kind of word. 'indisch' is an adjective and describes, for example, food, music, culture, or language from India. 'der Inder' is a noun and means a man from India, or colloquially also an Indian restaurant. Learners may confuse the words because they look similar. A practical rule is: if you are describing something, use 'indisch'. If you mean a male person or, colloquially, a restaurant, use 'der Inder'.
indisch
Nach dem Essen sagt Tom, dass das Gericht sehr indisch gewürzt ist.
After the meal, Tom says that the dish is seasoned in a very Indian style.
Inder
Mein Kollege ist Inder und spricht zu Hause Hindi.
My colleague is Indian and speaks Hindi at home.
In real life
Loading video examples...