# List of German abbreviations

This list of German abbreviations includes abbreviations, acronyms and initialisms found in the German language. Because German words can be famously long, use of abbreviation is particularly common. Even the language's shortest words are often abbreviated, such as the conjunction und (and) written just as "u." This article covers standard abbreviations in colloquial and official use. It does not include abbreviations that are important historically but no longer in common usage, such as k. u. k. for Imperial and Royal and OKW for Oberkommando der Wehrmacht.

## Types

As in English or Latin, German written abbreviations consist of a letter, letters or partial words shortened from a longer word or phrase, such as etc. for et cetera. Acronyms are a type of abbreviation pronounced as a single word, such as Laser. Initialisms are abbreviations in which each initial in the abbreviation is pronounced separately, such as FBI. It is unsettled question in English style guides whether the word acronym can be used to also describe initialisms. This list makes a distinction between the types because of the way German-speakers create, use and pronounce them.
* Abbreviations: German written abbreviations are often punctuated and are pronounced as the full word when read aloud, such as beispielsweise for bspw. ("for example"). Unlike English, which is moving away from periods in abbreviations in some style guides, the placement of capital letters and periods is important in German.
* Acronyms are abbreviations consisting of initials of words in the original phrase, written without periods, and pronounced as if they were a single word. Examples that have made their way into German from English include Laser or NATO. In German, acronyms retain the grammatical gender of their primary noun.
* Syllable words (German: Silbenkurzwörter), or syllabic abbreviation or clipping, is a particularly German method of creating an abbreviation by combining the first two or more letters of each word to form a single word. An example is the gummy bear brand Haribo, which is derived from the name of its creator Hans Riegel and the city where it was created, Bonn. A number of German syllable words have made it into English usage, such as Adidas, from company founder Adi Dassler, and Gestapo for Geheime StaatsPolizei (Secret State Police). Although used and pronounced as words in their own right, according to Helmut Glück they are classified as acronyms.
* Initialism is a type of abbreviation consisting of the initials of each word in a phrase, almost always capitalized, and pronounced separately. In German they are never punctuated. Examples include EU for European Union and DDR for German Democratic Republic. Initialisms are typically found in commercial, government, legal, medical, scientific and technical uses. In German, initialisms retain the grammatical gender of their primary noun.

## Key to sources in tables

These sources apply to all three tables. In special cases an entry will be additionally referenced.
| Key | Source | Dates | Type |
| L | Langenscheidt's Compact German Dictionary | 1993, 2003 | Reference work |
| Da | Dartmouth College Department of German | 2019 | academic website |
| DW | Deutsche Welle | 2015, 2020 | Public broadcaster |
| T | ThoughtCo, via Dotdash | 2020 | Listicle |
| F | FluentU, based on abkuerzungen.de | 2018 | Blog |

## List of German abbreviations

This is a selection of standard written abbreviations and symbols in German. The primary reference is Langenscheidt with additional sources providing more current uses and an indication of their popularity. German abbreviations are pronounced just like the full word or phrase when read aloud. Measurements are normally reduced to initials, written in lowercase, and without punctuation. Measurements of capacity in cooking can be uppercase.
| Abbreviation | German | English Equivalent | Notes | Sources |
| ⌀ | Durchschnitt | average | | |
| € | Euro | Euro | | T |
| * | geboren (geb.) | born | | T |
| † | gestorben (gest.) | died | | T |
| Abzw. | Abzweigung | diversion | | F |
| am. | amerikanisch | American | adjective | L, T |
| amtl. | amtlich | official | | L, T |
| Anh. | Anhang | appendix | | L, T |
| Ank. | Ankunft | arrival | | L, T |
| Anl. | Anlage | enclosure | | L, T |
| Anm. | Anmerkung | note | | L, T |
| anschl. | anschließend | following | | L |
| a.o. | außerordentlicher Professor | Associate professor | | L |
| App. | Apartment/Wohnung | apartment | accommodations/real estate | L, T, F |
| App. | Apparat | extension | telephone | L |
| a.Rh. | am Rhein | on the Rhine | in place names | L, T |
| Art. | Artikel | article | | L |
| Aufl. | Auflage | edition | books | L, T |
| Ausg. | Ausgabe | copy | books | L |
| AW | Antwort | Re:, in reply | email | T |
| B | Bundesstraße | Federal highway | German and Austrian national highways | L |
| b. | bei | at, with, near, c/o | | L, T |
| Bd., Bde. | Band, Bände | volume(s) | books | L, T |
| beil. | beiliegend | enclosed | letters | L, T |
| bes. | besonders | especially | | L, T |
| best. | bestimmt | definite | typically seen in dictionaries, as in definite article | |
| bspw. | beispielsweise | for example | | Da, F |
| Best.-Nr. | Bestellnummer | order number | | L, T |
| Betr. | Betreff | Re:, regarding | | L, T |
| Bev. | Bevölkerung | pop., population | | L |
| Bez. | Bezeichnung | term, designation | | L, T |
| Bez. | Bezirk | district | local government | L, T |
| Bio. | Billion | trillion (10$^{12}$) | The German language uses the long scale. Modern English "billion" (10$^9$) is Milliard. | |
| Bhf. | Bahnhof | railroad station | | L, T |
| brit. | britisch | British | | L |
| b.w. | bitte wenden | please turn over | common way to close an email message to friends | L, T, F |
| bzgl. | bezüglich | with reference to | relating to, regarding | L, T |
| bzw. | beziehungsweise | respectively | meaning varies in context, can also be: and/or, but, rather, alternatively, more specifically | L, Da, DW, T, F |
| ca. | circa, ungefähr, etwa | circa, about, approximately | | L, T |
| Chr. | Christus | Christ | | T |
| cm | Zentimeter | centimetre | | L, Da |
| d.Ä. | der Ältere | senior, the elder, Sr. | also see d.J. below | L, T |
| dazw. | dazwischen | between them | | F |
| ders. | derselbe | the same | | |
| desgl. | desgleichen | likewise, ditto | | F |
| dF, dtF | deutsche Fassung | German [dubbed] version | films etc. | T |
| dgl. | dergleichen/desgleichen | the like | | L, T, Da |
| d.h. | das heißt | i.e., that is | | L, T |
| d.i. | das ist | i.e., that is | | L |
| Di | Dienstag | Tuesday | date/time | L, T |
| Dipl. | Diplom | Diplom | diploma (an academic degree in the German-speaking countries) | L |
| Dipl.-Ing. | Diplom-Ingenieur | engineering diploma, cf. MEng, MSc, M.S. | | L, T |
| Dipl.-Kfm. | Diplom-Kaufmann | business degree, cf. Master of Business Administration | | T |
| Dir. | Direktion | administrative office | | T |
| Dir. | Direktor | administrator, manager, principal | | L, T |
| Dir. | Dirigent | conductor | of music | T |
| d.J. | der Jüngere | junior, the younger, Jr. | also see d.Ä. above | L, T |
| d.M. | dieses Monats | of this month | | L, F |
| d.O. | die (das) Obige | the above-mentioned | | L |
| d.o. | dito | ditto | | L, F |
| Do | Donnerstag | Thursday | date/time | L, T |
| Dr. | Doktor | Doctor | | L |
| Dr. med. | Doktor der Medizin | M.D., medical doctorate | | L, T |
| Dr. phil. | Doktor der Philosophie | Ph.D., Doctor of Philosophy | | L, T |
| Dr. sc. nat. | Doktor der Naturwissenschaften | Sc. D., Doctor of Science | | L |
| dt. | deutsch | German | as an adjective | L, T |
| Dtzd. | Dutzend | dozen | | L, T |
| e.h. | ehrenhalber | hon., honorary | degree, etc. | L, T |
| ehem. | ehemals/ehemalig | formerly/former | | L, T |
| eigtl. | eigentlich | actually, really | | L, T |
| einschl. | einschließlich | including, inclusive | | L, T |
| engl. | englisch | English | as an adjective | L |
| EL | Esslöffel | tbsp., tablespoon | in recipes | T, Da |
| E-Literatur | erhobene Literatur | serious literature | | T |
| E-Musik | erhobene Musik | classical music | | T |
| entspr. | entsprechend | corresponding, accordingly | | L, T |
| erb. | erbaut | built, erected | | L, T |
| Erw. | Erwachsene | adult(s) | noun | L, T |
| erw. | erweitert | expanded, extended | | T |
| ev. | evangelisch | Evangelical (a Protestant church) | adjective | L, T |
| e.V. | eingetragener Verein | registered organization (not-for-profit organization) | | Da, L, T |
| evtl. | eventuell | perhaps, possible/possibly, potential(ly) | adjective or adverb; note this does not mean "eventually" | Da, L, T |
| e.Wz. | eingetragenes Warenzeichen | registered trademark | | T |
| exkl. | exklusive | excluding, exclusive of | | L, T |
| f. | für | for | | DW |
| f./ff. | folgende Seite(n) | and following page(s) | | L, F |
| Fa. | Firma | company, firm | | L, T |
| Fam. | Familie | family | | L, T |
| FdH | Friss die Hälfte | eat half | Popular German dieting practice which recommends eating only half of what one would usually eat during a typical day. Fressen is a verb normally reserved for animals; used of people, it implies gorging oneself. | DW |
| F.f., Forts. f. | Fortsetzung folgt | to be continued | | L, T |
| Ffm. | Frankfurt am Main | | | T |
| FKK | Freikörperkultur | Free Body Culture | nudist movement with a long history in Germany | L, DW |
| Fr | Freitag | Friday | date/time | L, T, DW |
| Fr. | Frau | Mrs./Ms. | In modern usage any woman age 18 or above is addressed as Frau, whether married or not. | L, T, DW |
| fr. | frei | free | | DW |
| Frl. | Fräulein | Miss | In modern usage any woman age 18 or above is addressed as Frau, whether married or not. | L, T |
| Frfr. | Freifrau | wife of a Freiherr, former title of nobility, equivalent to Baroness (since 1919 part of the surname in Germany, banned in Austria) | | DW |
| frz. | französisch | French | as an adjective | L, T |
| g | Gramm | gram, grams | | L, T |
| geb. | geboren, geborene | born, né(e) | | L, T, Da, F |
| Gebr. | Gebrüder | Bros., brothers | | L, T |
| gedr. | gedruckt | printed | | T |
| gegr. | gegründet | established, founded | | L, T |
| gek. | gekürzt | abridged | of books | L, T |
| Ges. | Gesellschaft | association, company, society | | L, T |
| gesch. | geschieden | divorced | | L, T, DW |
| geschl. | geschlossen | closed | | DW |
| geschr. | geschrieben | written | | DW |
| ges.gesch. | gesetzlich geschützt | patented (lit. 'legally protected') | | L, DW |
| gest. | gestorben | died, deceased | | L, T |
| gez. | gezeichnet | signed | | L, T |
| ggf./ggfs. | gegebenenfalls | if applicable, if required | | L, T, Da |
| GmbH | Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung | limited liability company | GesmbH in Austria | L, T |
| gGmbH | gemeinnützige GmbH | nonprofit organization (lit. 'publicly beneficial limited company') | | L |
| ha | Hektar | hectare | | L, T |
| Hbf. | Hauptbahnhof | central railway station | | L, T |
| hpts. | hauptsächlich | mainly | | T |
| Hptst. | Hauptstadt | capital city | | T |
| Hr./Hrn. | Herr/Herrn | Mr | form of address | L, T |
| Hrsg. | Herausgeber | editor, edited by | | L, T |
| i.A. | im Auftrag | per, as per | often at the bottom of an official letter when somebody signs on behalf of somebody else | L, T |
| i.b. | im besonderen | in particular | | L, T |
| i.B. | im Breisgau | in Breisgau | used in place names, e.g. Freiburg i.B. | T |
| IC | Intercityzug | InterCity train | | T |
| ICE | Intercity-Expresszug | Intercity Express | | T |
| i.D. | im Durchschnitt | on average | | L, F |
| i.H. | im Hause | in-house, on the premises | | T |
| i.J. | im Jahre | in the year | | L, T |
| Ing. | Ingenieur | engineer | title | L, T |
| Inh. | Inhaber | owner, proprietor | | L, T |
| Inh. | Inhalt | contents | books | L, T |
| inkl. | inklusive | including, inclusive of | | L, T |
| i.R. | im Ruhestand | ret., retired | | L, T |
| i.V. | in Vertretung | by proxy, on behalf of | | T |
| i.V. | in Vorbereitung | in preparation | | T |
| i.V. | im Vorjahr | in the previous year | | L, T |
| inzw. | inzwischen | in the meantime | | F |
| jew. | jeweils | each, each of, each time | | |
| Jh. | Jahrhundert | century | | L, T, F |
| JH | Jugendherberge | youth hostel | | T |
| jhrl. | jährlich | annual(ly), yearly | date/time | L, T |
| JWD | janz weit draußen | way out there | Berliner dialect for "in the middle of nowhere" | DW |
| k.A. | keine Angabe | not rated | films etc. | T |
| Kap. | Kapitel | chapter | | L, T |
| kath. | katholisch | Catholic | adjective | L, T |
| Kfm. | Kaufmann | merchant, businessman, dealer, agent | | L, T |
| kfm. | kaufmännisch | commercial | | L, T |
| Kfz | Kraftfahrzeug | motor vehicle | | L, T |
| kg | Kilogramm | kilogram | | L, F |
| kgl. | königlich | royal | | L, T |
| Kl. | Klasse | class | e.g. 1. Kl. "first class" | L, T |
| km | Kilometer | kilometer | | L, F |
| kompl. | komplette | complete | | F |
| kW | Kilowatt | kilowatt | | L, F |
| l | Liter | liter | | L, T, Da |
| l. | links | left | | L, F |
| led. | ledig | unmarried | | L, F |
| LG | Liebe Grüsse | loving regards | common way to close an email message to friends | DW |
| LKW/Lkw | Lastkraftwagen | truck, lorry | also used for sport utility vehicle | L, T |
| L.m.a.A | Leck mich am Arsch | lick my ass | Known as the Swabian salute, via Goethe and Mozart | DW |
| m | Meter | meter | length | L, F |
| mm | Millimeter | millimeter | | L, F |
| MA | Mittlealter | Middle Ages | | L, T |
| m.a.W. | mit anderen Worten | in other words | | L, F |
| max. | maximal | maximum | | L |
| m.E. | meines Erachtens | in my opinion | | L, T, Da, F |
| MfG | Mit freundlichen Grüßen | with friendly regards (lit. 'greetings') | for formal emails, the standard way of closing a German business letter | DW, T, F |
| Mi | Mittwoch | Wednesday | date/time | L, T |
| Mil. | Million(en) | million(s) | | L |
| Mio. | Million(en) | million(s) | | L, T |
| m.M./m.M.n. | meiner Meinung/meiner Meinung nach | in my opinion | | F, DW |
| Mo | Montag | Monday | date/time | L, T |
| möbl. | möbliert | furnished | accommodation/real estate | L, T |
| Mrd. | Milliarde(n) | billion(s) (10$^9$) | The German language uses the long scale. German Billion means "trillion" (10$^{12}$). | L, T |
| Msp. | Messerspitze | pinch (lit. 'knife tip') | quantity in recipes | T |
| mtl. | monatlich | monthly | date/time | L, T |
| mdl. | mündlich | verbal | | L |
| m.ü.M. | Meter über dem Meerespiegel | meters above sea level | | L |
| m.W. | meines Wissens | to my knowledge, as far as I know | | L, T, F |
| MwSt., Mw.-St. | Mehrwertsteuer | VAT, Value-Added Tax | In Switzerland, MWST | L, T |
| N | Nord(en) | north | compass point | L, T |
| n. | nach | after | | L |
| näml. | nämlich | namely, viz., i.e. | | L, T |
| n.Chr. | nach Christus | AD, anno Domini | dates | L, T, Da |
| n.J. | nächsten Jahres | next year | | L |
| NNO | Nordnordost | north-northeast | compass point | T |
| NNW | Nordnordwest | north-northwest | C | T |
| NO | Nordosten | northeast | C | L, T |
| nördl. | nördlich | northern | | L |
| norw. | norwegisch | Norwegian | as an adjective | L |
| Nr. | Nummer | No., number | | L, T |
| NS | Nachschrift | PS, postscript | | T |
| n.u.Z. | nach unserer Zeitrechnung | CE | dates | T |
| NW | Nordwest(en) | northwest | compass point | L |
| O | Ost(en) | east | compass point | L, T, DW |
| o. | oben | above | | L, T, DW |
| o. | oder | or | | L, DW |
| o. | ohne | without | | L, DW |
| ö | öffentlich | public | | DW |
| o.A. | ohne Altersbeschränkung | approved for all ages (lit. 'without age restriction') | films etc. | T |
| o.a. | oben angeführt | above-mentioned | | L |
| o.ä. | oder ähnliche | and the like (lit. 'or similar') | | L |
| o.B. | ohne Befund | negative results lit. 'without findings' | | L |
| od. | oder | or | | L, T, Da |
| o.g. | oben genannt | above named | | T |
| OmU | Originalfassung mit Untertiteln | original version with subtitles | films etc. | T |
| OSO | Ostsüdost | east-southeast | compass point | T |
| O-Ton | Originalton | original soundtrack | films etc. | T |
| österr. | österreichisch | Austrian | as an adjective | L |
| p.Adr. | per Adresse | c/o, care of | | L, T |
| Pf. | Pfarrei; Pfarrer | Parish; Parish priest, parson, pastor | | |
| Pfd. | Pfund | lb., pound | weight | L, T |
| Pkt. | Punkt | point | | L, F |
| Pkw/PKW | Personenkraftwagen | automobile, car | | L, T |
| Pl. | Platz | square, plaza | | L, T |
| PLZ | Postleitzahl | postal code | | L, T |
| PS | Pferdestärke | metric horsepower | | L, T |
| qkm | Quadratkilometer | square kilometer | obsolete, km$^2$ is preferred | L, T |
| qm | Quadratmeter | square meter | obsolete, m$^2$ is preferred | L, T |
| r. | rechts | right | | L, T |
| RA | Rechtsanwalt | attorney, lawyer, barrister | | L, T |
| Reg.-Bez. | Regierungsbezirk | government district | | L, T |
| R-Gespräch | Retour-Gespräch | collect call, reverse-charge call | | T |
| r.k., r.-k., röm.-kath. | römisch-katholisch | RC, Roman Catholic | | L, T |
| röm. | römisch | Roman | adjective | L, T |
| S | Süd(en) | south | compass point | L, T, DW |
| S. | Seite | p., page | | T, DW |
| s. | sich | oneself, yourself | with reflexive verbs | T |
| s. | siehe | see | | L, DW |
| s.a. | siehe auch | see also | | T, Da |
| Sa | Samstag | Saturday | date/time | L, T |
| schles. | schlesisch | Silesian | as an adjective | T |
| schwäb. | schwäbisch | Swabian | as an adjective | T |
| schweiz. | schweizerisch | Swiss | as an adjective | L, T |
| sek. | Sekunde | second | date/time | F |
| SO | Südost(en) | south-east | compass point | L, DW |
| So | Sonntag | Sunday | date/time | T, DW |
| s.o. | siehe oben | see above | | L, T, DW |
| sog. | so genannt | so-called | | L, T, DW |
| St. | Sankt | saint | | L, T |
| St. | Stück | (per) piece | pricing | L, T, F |
| Std. | Stunde | hour | | L, F |
| Str. | Straße | street, road | | L, F |
| StR. | Studienrat | tenured teacher | | T |
| s.u. | siehe unten | see below | | L, Da |
| südd. | süddeutsch | southern German | adjective | ? |
| SW, s/w | schwarz/weiß | black & white | films etc. | T |
| SW | Südwest(en) | southwest | compass point | L, T |
| SZ | Schlafzimmer | bedroom | used in accommodation/real estate | F |
| t | Tonne(n) | ton(s) | | L |
| tägl. | täglich | daily, per day | | L, F |
| Tel. | Telefon | telephone | | L, F |
| TL | Teelöffel | teaspoon | in recipes | F, Da |
| u. | und | and | | T, F, Da |
| U | Umleitung | detour | | L, T |
| u.a. | und andere | and others | | L, T |
| u.a. | unter anderem | among others | | L, T |
| u.Ä. | und Ähnliches | and the like (lit. 'and similar things') | | L, T |
| u.ä. | und ähnlich | and similarly | | T |
| u.a.m. | und andere(s) mehr | and more, etc. | | ? |
| u.A.w.g. | um Antwort wird gebeten | RSVP | | L, T |
| übl./üblw. | üblich/üblicherweise | usual | | F |
| ugs. | umgangssprachlich | colloquially | | |
| usw. | und so weiter | and so on, etc. | note punctuation | L, T, Da, F |
| u.v.a.(m) | und vieles andere (mehr) | and many others | | T |
| u.U. | unter Umständen | in certain circumstances, possibly | | L, T, Da |
| u.zw. | und zwar | viz., and indeed | | L, F |
| V. | Vers | line, verse | | L, T |
| v. | von | of | used in particular for the nobiliary particle | L |
| v.a. | vor allem | above all, especially | | Da |
| v.Chr. | vor Christus | BC, before Christ | | T, Da |
| Verf. | Verfasser | author | | L, T |
| verh. | verheiratet | married | | T, F |
| verw. | verwitwet | widowed | | L, T |
| VG | Viele Grüsse | many greetings | casual signoff in email | DW |
| vgl. | vergleiche | cf., compare, reference | | L, T, Da |
| v.H. | vom Hundert | percent, per 100 | | L, T |
| vorm. | vormals | formerly | | L, T |
| vorm. | vormittags | a.m., in the morning | date/time | L, T |
| v.R.w. | von Rechts wegen | by law | | L, T |
| v.T. | vom Tausend | per mille, per 1000 | | L, T |
| v.u.Z. | vor unserer Zeitrechnung | BCE | dates | L, T |
| W | West(en) | west | compass point | L, T |
| wstl. | westlich | western | | L |
| w.o. | wie oben | as above | | F |
| WSW | Westsüdwest | west-southwest | compass point | L, T |
| Wwe/Wwer | Witwe/Witwer | widow/widower | | F |
| Wz | Warenzeichen | trademark | | L |
| Z. | Zahl | number | | L, T, DW |
| Z. | Zeile | line | | L, T, DW |
| z. | zu, zum, zur | at, to | | L, T, DW |
| z.B. | zum Beispiel | e.g., for example | | T, Da |
| z.Hd. | zu Händen, zu Handen | attn., attention of | | L, T |
| Zi. | Zimmer | room | | L, T |
| z.T. | zum Teil | partly, in part | | L, Da, F |
| Ztr. | Zentner | 100 kg | | L |
| zur. | zurück | back | | L, T |
| zus. | zusammen | together | | L, T |
| zzgl. | zuzüglich | plus, in addition | | T |
| z.Z./z.Zt. | zur Zeit | at present | | L, T, Da |

## List of German acronyms

An acronym is a general type of abbreviation formed from the initial components of words in a longer name or phrase and pronounced as words. Included in this table are syllable words (German: Silbenkurzwörter), with the fragments used to create the clipping displayed in bold.
| Abbreviation | German | English | Notes | Sources |
| DaF | Deutsch als Fremdsprache | German as a foreign language | | |
| DIN | Deutsches Institut für Normung | German Institute for Standardization | | |
| KaDeWe | Kaufhaus des Westens | large Berlin department store | | T, DW |
| Kripo | Kriminalpolizei | police crime unit, CID (Br.) | | |
| TÜV | Technischer Überwachungsverein | Technical Inspection Association | non-governmental regulatory bodies responsible for product safety; also (colloquially) the mandatory roadworthiness test for motor vehicles (cf. MOT test). | |
| Jusos | Jungsozialisten | Young Socialists | youth wing of the Social Democratic Party of Germany | |
| Kita | Kindertagesstätte or Kindertageseinrichtung | day nursery | | |
| Kripo | Kriminalpolizei | criminal police | | |
| Schiri | Schiedsrichter | referee | | |
| Stabi | Staatsbibliothek | national library | | |
| Trafo | Transformator | transformer | electrical component | |
| Elko | Elektrolytkondensator | electrolytic capacitor | electronic component | |
| Mofa | motorisiertes Fahrrad | motorised bicycle | class of light motor vehicle that requires no driving licence | |
| Vokuhila | vorne kurz, hinten lang | mullet | hairstyle | |

## List of German initialisms

Acronyms pronounced as individual letters are rather than words are more specifically called initialisms. They are written without periods and retain the grammatical gender of their primary noun.
| Abbreviation | German | English | Notes | Ref |
| AA | Anonyme Alkoholiker | Alcoholics Anonymous | | L, DW |
| AA | Auswärtiges Amt | Foreign Office, State Department | | DW |
| ADAC | Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club | General German Auto Club | largest auto club in Europe | T |
| AfD | Alternative für Deutschland | Alternative for Germany | political party | |
| AG | Aktiengesellschaft | Joint-stock company | | |
| AGB | die Allgemeinen Geschäftsbedingungen | Terms and Conditions (of Use) | | |
| ARD | Arbeitsgemeinschaft der öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunkanstalten der Bundesrepublik Deutschland | ARD | broadcaster | |
| AOK | Allgemeine Ortskrankenkasse | public health insurance | | T |
| ASW | außersinnliche Wahrnehmung | Extrasensory Perception | | T |
| BBk | Deutsche Bundesbank | German Federal Bank | | |
| BGB | Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch | German Civil Code | | T |
| BGH | Bundesgerichtshof | Federal Constitutional Court | | |
| BIP | Bruttoinlandsprodukt | Gross Domestic Product | | |
| BKA | Bundeskriminalamt | Federal Criminal Police Office | Germany's "FBI" | T |
| BLZ | Bankleitzahl | Bank Code Number | | T |
| BMBF | Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung | Federal Ministry of Education and Research | | |
| BMF | Bundesministerium der Finanzen | Federal Ministry of Finance | | |
| BMG | Bundesministerium für Gesundheit | Federal Ministry of Health | | |
| BMI | Bundesministerium des Innern, für Bau und Heimat | Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community | | |
| BMVg | Bundesministerium der Verteidigung | Federal Ministry of Defence | | |
| BMU | Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und nukleare Sicherheit | Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety | | |
| BMVI | Bundesministerium für Verkehr und digitale Infrastruktur | Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure | | |
| BMW | Bayerische Motoren Werke | Bavarian Motor Works | | |
| BMZ | Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung | Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development | | |
| BPOL | Bundespolizei | Federal Police | | |
| BR | Bayrischer Rundfunk | Bavarian Broadcasting | | |
| BRD | Bundesrepublik Deutschland | Federal Republic of Germany | | |
| C&A | Clemens & August | C&A | popular clothing chain | T |
| CDU | Christlich-Demokratische Union | Christian Democratic Union | political party | |
| CSU | Christlich-Soziale Union | Christian Social Union | political party | |
| CVJF | Christlicher Verein Junger Frauen | YWCA | In Switzerland, the YWCA and YMCA merged in 1973 to form Cevi Schweitz | T |
| CVJM | Christlicher Verein Junger Menschen | YMCA | In Switzerland, the YWCA and YMCA merged in 1973 to form Cevi Schweitz | T |
| CJK | Creutzfeld-Jakob-Krankheit | Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease | | |
| DAAD | Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst | German Academic Exchange Service | | |
| DAG | Deutsche Angestellten-Gewerkschaft | German Salaried Employees' Union | Obsolete, now ver.di | |
| DB | Deutsche Bahn | German Rail | | |
| DDR | Deutsche Demokratische Republik | German Democratic Republic | The former state of East Germany | |
| DFB | Deutscher Fußballbund | German Football Association | | |
| DGB | Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund | German Trade Union Confederation | | |
| DIHK | Deutsche Industrie- und Handelskammer | Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce | | |
| DIN | Deutsches Institut für Normung | German Institute for Standard | | |
| DJH | Deutsches Jugendherbergswerk | German Youth Hostel Association | | |
| DKP | Deutsche Kommunistische Partei | German Communist Party | | |
| DM | Deutsche Mark | Deutsche Mark | | |
| DPD | Deutscher Paketdienst | German Package Service | the German "UPS" | |
| DRK | Deutsches Rotes Kreuz | German Red Cross | | |
| DT | Deutsche Telekom | Deutsche Telekom | | |
| DuÖAV | Deutscher und Österreichischer Alpenverein | German and Austrian Alpine Club | Ceased to exist in 1938; the German Alpine Club and Austrian Alpine Club were later re-established. | |
| DVU | Deutsche Volksunion | German People's Union | political party | |
| EEG | Elektroenzephalografie | Electroencephalography | medicine/science/technology | |
| EKG | Elektrokardiogramm | Electrocardiography | medicine/science/technology | |
| ETA | Elektrotechnischer Assistent | Electrical technologist | | |
| EU | Europäische Union | European Union | | |
| EZB | Europäische Zentralbank | European Central Bank | | |
| FAZ | Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung | Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung | Germany's "New York Times" | T |
| FC | Fußball Club | Football Club | | |
| FCKW | Fluor-Chlor-Kohlenwasserstoff | Chlorofluorocarbon | medicine/science/technology | |
| FDB | Freie Demokratische Partei | Free Democratic Party | political party | |
| FH | Fachhochschule | University of Applied Sciences | | |
| FKK | Freikörperkultur | Free body culture | Naturism | |
| FRA | Frankfurter Flughafen | Frankfurt Airport | | |
| FSK | Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle der Filmwirtschaft | Self-Regulatory Body of the Movie Industry | The German motion picture content rating system | |
| FU | Freie Universität Berlin | Free University of Berlin | | |
| GG | Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland | Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany | Constitution of Germany | L |
| GEW | Gewerkschaft Erziehung und Wissenschaft | Education and Science Workers' Union | | Not T |
| GEZ | Gebühreneinzugszentrale der öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunkanstalten in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland | Contribution service of ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandradio | Former German agency responsible for collecting mandatory fees for public TV and radio | |
| GUS | Gemeinschaft Unabhängiger Staaten | Commonwealth of Independent States | | |
| HH | Hansestadt Hamburg | Hamburg | on license plates | |
| HNO | Hals Nase Ohren | Ear, Nose and Throat | medicine/science/technology | |
| H+M | Hennes & Mauritz | H&M | popular clothing chain | |
| HTL, HTLA | Höhere Technische Lehranstalt | Technical school | an engineering-focused secondary school in Austria | not T |
| HTBLA | Höhere Technische Bundeslehranstalt | Federal Higher Technical Institute | an engineering-focused secondary school in Austria | not T |
| HTBLuVA | Höhere Technische Bundes-Lehr- und -Versuchsanstalt | Federal Higher Technical Institute for Education and Experimentation | an engineering-focused secondary school in Austria | not T |
| IFO | Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung | Institute for Economic Research | | L |
| IHK | Industrie- und Handelskammer | Chamber of Industry and Commerce | Regional, cross-industry associations | |
| IOK | Internationales Olympisches Komitee | International Olympic Committee | | |
| IWF | Internationale Währungsfonds | International Monetary Fund | | |
| JH | Jugendherberge | Youth Hostel | | |
| JVA | Justizvollzugsanstalt | Prisons in Germany | | |
| KfzPflVV | Kraftfahrzeug-Pflichtversicherungsverordnung | Motor vehicle liability insurance | legal | DW |
| KG | Kommanditgesellschaft | Limited partnership | | |
| KKW | Kernkraftwerk | Nuclear power plant | | |
| KSZE | Konferenz über Sicherheit und Zusammenarbeit in Europa | Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe | | |
| LG | Landgericht | District Court | | DW |
| MAD | Militärischer Abschirmdienst | Military Counterintelligence Service | Germany's "MI5" | |
| MdB | Mitglied des Bundestages | Member of the Bundestag | Member of Parliament | |
| MdL | Mitglied des Landtages | Member of the Landtag | Member of a State Legislature | |
| MEZ | Mitteleuropäische Zeit | Central European Time | | |
| MP | Maschinenpistole | Machine gun | | |
| MP | Militärpolizei | Military police | | |
| MTA | Medizinische(r) Technische(r) Assistent(in) | Medical Technician | | |
| NN | das Normalnull | sea level | | |
| NOK | Nationales Olympisches Komitee | National Olympic Committee | | |
| NPD | Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands | National Democratic Party of Germany | political party | |
| NRW | Nordrhein-Westfalen | North Rhine-Westphalia | German state | |
| OB | Oberbürgermeister | Lord mayor | | |
| ÖBB | Österreichische Bundesbahnen | Austrian Federal Railways | | |
| OF | Originalfassung | original version | film/movies | T |
| OHG | offene Handelsgesellschaft | General partnership | | |
| ÖPNV | öffentlicher Personennahverkehr | Public transport | | |
| ORF | Österreichischer Rundfunk | Austrian Broadcasting Corporation | broadcaster | |
| ÖVP | Österreichische Volkspartei | Austrian People's Party | political party | |
| PDS | Partei des Demokratischen Sozialismus | Party of Democratic Socialism | political party | |
| PH | Pädagogische Hochschule | School of Education | | |
| PIN | Persönliche Identifikationsnummer | Personal identification number | medicine/science/technology | |
| RBB | Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg | Berlin-Brandenburg Broadcasting | | |
| RNS | Ribonukleinsäure | RNA | medicine/science/technology | |
| RTL | Radio Télévision Luxembourg | Radio Television Luxembourg | broadcaster | |
| SB | Selbstbedienung | Self-service | SB-Laden, a self-service store SB-Tankstelle, gas/petrol stations | |
| SBB | Schweizerische Bundesbahnen | Swiss Federal Railways | | T |
| SPÖ | Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs | Social Democratic Party of Austria | political party | |
| SR | Saarländischer Rundfunk | Radio Saarland | broadcaster | T |
| SSV | Sommerschlussverkauf | end-of-summer sale | | |
| StGB | Strafgesetzbuch | German Penal Code | legal | T |
| StVO | Straßenverkehrsordnung | German Highway Code | legal | T |
| SWR | Südwestrundfunk | Southwest Broadcasting | broadcaster | T |
| TH | Technische Hochschule | Technical College | | |
| TU | Technische Universität | Technical University | | |
| UB | Universitätsbibliothek | University Library | | |
| UFO | unidentifiziertes Flugobjekt | Unidentified flying object | | |
| UKW | Ultrakurzwellen | FM, Very High Frequency | medicine/science/technology | |
| UNO | Vereinte Nationen | United Nations | | |
| VAE | Vereinigte Arabische Emirate | United Arab Emirates | | |
| VDE | Verband der Elektrotechnik, Elektronik und Informationstechnik | Association of Electrical Engineering, Electronics and Information Technology | medicine/science/technology | |
| VELKD | Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutheranische Kirche Deutschlands | United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany | | |
| VHS | Volkshochschule | Folk high school | | |
| WAA | Wiederaufbereitungsanlage | Nuclear reprocessing plant | medicine/science/technology | L |
| WDR | Westdeutscher Rundfunk | West German Radio | broadcaster | |
| WEZ | Westeuropäische Zeit | Western European Time | | |
| WG | Wohngemeinschaft | Co-living | unrelated people sharing a flat, apartment, or house | L |
| WM | Weltmeisterschaft | World championship | | L |
| WS | Wintersemester | Winter semester | | |
| WSV | Winterschlussverkauf | Winter sale | | |
| ZDF | Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen | Second German Television Network | broadcaster | |
| KV | Kassenärztliche Vereinigung | | | |
| ZPO | Zivilprozessordnung | Civil procedure (divorce, etc.) | legal | |