01
der Unterricht
instruction / class
The teaching of knowledge and skills, usually in a school or another educational institution by a teacher.
example
Der Deutschunterricht beginnt um acht Uhr.
German class begins at eight o'clock.
der Unterricht
instruction / class
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
01 / 02
Usage tips
Word family
The noun 'der Unterricht' (instruction/class) is derived directly from the verb 'unterrichten' (to teach), which means 'lehren' (to teach) or 'Wissen vermitteln' (to impart knowledge). The teacher teaches, and what they do is 'der Unterricht' (instruction/class).
EXAMPLE
Frau Meier unterrichtet seit 20 Jahren an dieser Schule.
Ms. Meier has been teaching at this school for 20 years.
No plural
'Unterricht' (instruction/class) is a collective term and is almost always used in the singular, even when talking about many lessons or subjects. You say 'viel Unterricht' (a lot of instruction/class), not 'viele Unterrichte'.
EXAMPLE
Wegen des Feiertags haben wir morgen keinen Unterricht.
Because of the public holiday, we don't have any class tomorrow.
Typical collocations
Common verbs in connection with 'Unterricht' (instruction/class) are 'Unterricht geben' (to teach/give lessons) for teachers and 'Unterricht nehmen' (to take lessons) or 'bekommen' (to get/receive lessons) for learners. 'Am Unterricht teilnehmen' (to participate in class) is also a very common phrase.
EXAMPLE
Er nimmt privaten Klavierunterricht.
He takes private piano lessons.
Prepositions
To name the school subject, use 'Unterricht in' followed by the dative. When referring to the lesson itself, you say 'im Unterricht' (in class).
EXAMPLE
Sie ist besonders gut im Unterricht in Biologie.
She is especially good in biology class.
Compare with
Unterricht vs Stunde
hour
'die Stunde' and 'der Unterricht' can both have to do with learning at school or in a course. Here, 'die Stunde' refers more to a single unit in the timetable, for example math or German. 'der Unterricht' refers to the whole process of learning and teaching. Learners can easily confuse the words because in both cases you sit in a classroom and learn. In practical terms: a 'Stunde' is one individual part of 'Unterricht'; 'Unterricht' is what happens during that time.
Unterricht
Wegen der Prüfung hört die Klasse im Unterricht besonders gut zu.
Because of the exam, the class pays especially close attention during the lesson.
Stunde
Nach der Pause haben wir eine Stunde Deutsch.
After the break, we have a German class.
In real life
Loading video examples...