What does “barrierefrei” mean in German?

Zukunft der Flugzeugkabinen: Barrierefreiheit und Nachhaltigkeit

WhatsAppGmailTelegramEmail

B2 German listening practice · German · Picked for people who know more

💡 Did you know?
barrierefrei
Everyday German word
barrier-free — built so people with disabilities can use it too

The report covers new plane cabins: a seat for your own wheelchair, a bigger toilet, lighting for people who can’t see well. Then comes the summary line — “barrierefreien Fliegen.” Here “barrierefrei” means flying with no barriers in the way, so travelers with a disability can move and use things on board too. It’s the standard, respectful German word for “accessible.”

Spoken line: “Der Fokus liegt in diesem Jahr vor allem auf dem barrierefreien Fliegen.” — “This year the focus is above all on barrier-free flying.” It joins “Barriere” (barrier) and “frei” (free), so something built with no barriers blocking people with disabilities. Examples: “ein barrierefreier Bahnhof” — a station you can reach without steps, also by wheelchair; “Die Website ist barrierefrei.” — The website works for people who can’t see or hear well. Usage: it’s the normal, respectful word in German for “accessible,” used for buildings, transport, toilets, and websites. The ending changes (“barrierefreien Fliegen”) just to fit the phrase — the meaning stays the same.

How common are the words?

How common are the words in this B2 German listening practice video?

88.8%
of words are in the top 2,000 most common German words
Most of the words in this video are common German words.

How common in written German

82.6%
Top 1,000
88.8%
Top 2,000
93.4%
Top 5,000

How common in spoken German

94%
Top 1,000
98.8%
Top 2,000
100%
Top 5,000
👄 Words for talking
This video uses words people often say in German.

Harder words in this video

These words are harder than B2. Here is what they mean.

flugzeugtoilette
2×
Not in top 5,000
airplane toilet
recycelten
2×
Not in top 5,000
recycled
aircraft
1×
Not in top 5,000
aircraft; airplane
airspace
1×
Not in top 5,000
airspace (aviation term)
aufpoppen
1×
Not in top 5,000
pop up, appear suddenly

Source: wordfreq 3.1.1 (general) · SUBTLEX-DE 2011 (spoken). These numbers are close, not perfect.

See German Videos You Can Understand on Reelang

Open German page