English to German Subtitles
Generate captions for an English video, translate them into German, tidy the line breaks and export. Burned-in captions export on the free plan at up to 720p with a small badge. The Translate button is a Pro feature, and so are caption file downloads.
English to German Subtitles Features
EchoWave's English to German subtitles are used by creators, trainers and marketing teams who publish for viewers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Von Englisch auf Deutsch
German subtitles from English speech, with the timing kept
English to German subtitles take two passes in the editor: first the speech becomes English captions, then the caption track is translated into German with each cue keeping its start and end time. Free versus paid, plainly: uploading, captioning, editing and exporting a video with captions burned in works without a paid plan (720p at most, small badge). Translate is labelled Pro, and SRT or VTT downloads need a paid plan. For other pairs see the subtitle translator or German to English subtitles. Related: German subtitle generator.
-
86
languages in the Translate list
-
2
caption languages can share the screen
-
176
caption style presets
-
720p
top resolution of a free burned-in export
German-specific details
What changes when the target language is German
The translation is the easy part. German text behaves differently on screen, and these are the things to check.
-
Long compound words
German joins nouns into single long words that cannot be split across lines. A compound at the end of a cue can push the line past the frame, so shorten the sentence or move the cue boundary in the Edit tab.
-
Cue timing carried over
The German cue keeps the English cue times. Because German often needs more characters, check any quick-fire lines at normal playback speed, and trim words if a cue is gone before you can finish reading it.
-
Umlauts and ß
Ä, Ö, Ü and ß need a caption font that includes them. Preview a cue that has all four before exporting. In all-caps presets, ß usually turns into SS, so pick a mixed-case style if that matters to you.
-
Du or Sie, your call
German has a formal and an informal you. The translation picks one, and you can rewrite lines in the Edit tab to match your audience. Creators and apps usually go with du, while corporate and customer material tends toward Sie.
-
English and German on one screen
Show in video switches each language on or off. Keep both for a language-learning clip, or hide English once the German reads cleanly. Layouts: stacked, original at the bottom, or one block.
-
Burned in, or a file
Burn the German captions into the video for any platform. On a paid plan you can also download the German track as SRT or VTT for a separate subtitle upload.
How it works
How to translate English subtitles into German
From an English video to German captions in four steps.
-
Add your English video
Bring in the video file, or an audio recording if there is no picture.
-
Create the English captions
In Subtitles, choose Generate captions and wait for the cues. Correct product names, numbers and abbreviations first, since the German is built from this text.
-
Run the German translation
On the Translate tab, tap German in the popular list or search for it, then press Translate to German. The Pro label sits on that button. When the job completes, German shows up as its own row.
-
Review, then export
Read the German through once, fix long lines, turn on German under Show in video and export. The free plan gives MP4 up to 720p with a small badge and a short end card.
Who it's for
Who needs German subtitles for English video
-
YouTube and TikTok creators
English content reaches German-speaking viewers with captions already on the picture. That matters on Shorts and Reels, where sound is often off.
-
Software and SaaS teams
Product walkthroughs and release videos get German captions for customers in the DACH region, with product terms corrected in the Edit tab.
-
Trainers and HR teams
Onboarding and compliance videos recorded in English become readable for German-speaking colleagues. Check legal and safety wording by eye.
-
Universities and researchers
Lecture clips and conference talks gain German captions for students who follow lectures more easily in their first language.
-
Online shops and brands
A launch clip or unboxing video can carry German captions on product pages and social posts for German customers.
-
Podcasters with video episodes
Clip a quote from an English episode, caption it in German and share it with a German-language audience.
Get German subtitles on your video
Upload your English video, generate captions, translate to German and export with the captions burned in. Translation is a Pro feature; burned-in export is free at up to 720p.
What people are saying about EchoWave
About the EchoWave team
EchoWave is a browser-based video and audio editor built by Lemon Vault LLC since 2018. The people who build the editor write these guides and test every step in the production app before publishing.
English to German Subtitles FAQ
How do I translate English subtitles to German?
Generate captions for your video in Subtitles, open the Translate tab, select German and press Translate to German. The German track appears as its own row. Switch it on under Show in video and export the video.
What is free and what needs a paid plan?
Uploading, generating captions, editing and exporting with burned-in captions can be done without paying, at up to 720p with a small badge. The Translate button is marked Pro, and caption file downloads need a paid plan. See the pricing page for what each plan includes.
Can I save the German subtitles as an SRT for YouTube?
On a paid plan, yes: the language menu offers Download .srt and Download .vtt. A free account that tries it is sent to the upgrade screen. The alternative that costs nothing extra is burning the German captions into the video itself.
Why do some German lines break badly?
German compounds are single long words, and translated sentences are often longer than the English. Shorten the cue on the Edit tab, or accept the offer to make the text smaller when two languages are stacked. A short, clear line reads faster than a perfect long one.
Should German subtitles use du or Sie?
Choose by audience. The informal du suits creators, apps and young viewers, and the formal Sie suits business and customer-facing videos. If the translation used the other form, correct the lines on the Edit tab for consistency.
Will umlauts and the ß display correctly?
They will if the caption font includes them, which most standard fonts do. Check one cue with Ä, Ö, Ü and ß in the preview. Readers in Switzerland write ss instead of ß, so edit that if they are your audience.
Can I keep English and German on screen together?
Yes. Leave both languages on and pick a layout: stacked at the bottom, original at the bottom with the translation on top, or one block with the German under each English caption.
What if I fix the English after translating?
The German row is marked Out of date because the original changed, and an Update button refreshes it. Update runs the translation again, so finish the English first and do your German polish afterwards.
German subtitles for your English video
Generate captions, translate them to German and burn them in. Translation needs a paid plan; exports up to 720p start free with a small badge.
Get Started →