Vocabulary in the News
German-to-English Version
Words and phrases found in German magazines or newspapers
in the fields of crime, disaster, war, politics, sports, weather, and other news
> English-German Version of this glossary
> Political Parties Glossary (CDU, FDP, SPD, etc.)
> Terrorism Glossary (English-German)
Noun genders are indicated by: r (der, masc.), e (die, fem.), s (das, neu.)
Abbreviations: adj. (adjective), n. (noun), v. (verb), pl. (plural)
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Ar/e Abgeordnete representative, member of parliament
r Absturz crash, disaster
r Flugzeugabsturz plane crash
abstürzen to crash, fall
abgestürzt crashed
die Achse des Bösen the axis of evil
On January 29, 2002 in his State of the Union address, President George W. Bush labeled Iran (der Iran), Iraq (der Irak), and North Korea (Nordkorea) an "axis of evil."
e Angaben (pl) information, data (from a source)
nach Angaben der Polizei according to the police
nach offiziellen Angaben according to official sources
e Arbeitslosigkeit unemployment
e Arbeitsplätze (pl.) (number of) jobs
e Armee army
e Bundeswehr German army
r Soldat soldier
e Atomkraft atomic power (electricity generated by a nuclear reactor)
e Atommacht atomic power (state with atomic weapons)
auf Konfrontationskurs gehen to head for a confrontation, go on the offensive
r Aufstand insurgency, rebellion, uprising
Aufständische pl. insurgents, rebels
der/die Aufständische m./f. the insurgent, rebel (masc./fem.)
ein Aufständischer m. an insurgent, a rebel (masc.)
eine Aufständische f. an insurgent, a rebel (fem.)
aufständisch adj. insurgent, rebellious
r Ausländer, e Ausländerin foreigner
sie sind Ausländer they are foreigners
e Ausländerfeindlichkeit xenophobia, anti-foreigner sentiment
r Außenminister, e Außenministerin foreign secretary/minister, secretary of state
e Außenpolitik foreign policy
deutsche Außenpolitik German foreign policy
B
r Banküberfall bank robbery
r Beamte/e Beamtin civil servant, government worker, official (n.)
Becker gegen Becker “Becker versus Becker”
e Scheidung divorce (n.)
sich scheiden lassen get a divorce
Germany's most famous 2001 divorce case: Former German tennis champ Boris Becker was in a very messy divorce case with his American wife Barbara Becker.
bedrohen threaten (v.)
e Bedrohung threat (n.)
s Benzin gasoline, petrol
die Benzinpreise gas prices (pl.)
A German ecology tax (die Ökosteuer) on the price of gasoline was introduced on Jan. 1, 2001. The tax was scheduled to raise incrementally over the following years.
bergen (barg/hat geborgen) to recover, salvage, rescue
man hat die Triebwerke geborgen the (aircraft) engines have been recovered
e Bergung recovery, salvaging
e Bildung education
s Blitzlicht flashbulb, (camera) flash unit
s Blitzlichtgewitter lit., "flashbulb lightning storm"
unter Blitzlichtgewitter under a hail of flashing cameras
e Botschaft embassy
r Botschafter ambassador
die Bovine Spongiforme Enzephalopathie (BSE) bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)
e BRD (Bundesrepublik Deutschland) FRG, Fed. Republic of Germany
e BSE, r Rinderwahn BSE, “mad cow” disease
e BSE-Krise the BSE crisis
Bundes- federal, of the BRD (prefix in many German words; see below)
e Bundesbank (e Buba) German central bank
r Bundeskanzler federal chancellor
e Bundeskanzlerin federal chancellor (f.)
The current federal chancellor of Germany is Angela Merkel (CDU, Christian Democratic Union). The previous chancellor was Gerhard Schröder (SPD, Social Democratic Party). See: "Tax Song" Lampoons Schröder
r Bundesrat German parliament (upper house)
e Bundesrepublik (e BRD) Fed. Republic of Germany (FRG)
r Bundestag German parliament (lower house)
e Bundeswehr German army
e Armee army
r Soldat soldier
Beginning in 2001, women were allowed for the first time to serve in Germany's Bundeswehr as combat soldiers, Soldatinnen.
English-German Terrorism Glossary
C
CDU/CSU CDU/CSU, the Christian Democratic Union (political party)
CSU CSU, the Christian Socialists (political party)
Both partners are referred to as die Union.
> See the Political Parties Glossary
What's today's German word of the day?
D
e DDR GDR (East Germany)
E
einschränken to restrict, limit (v.)
e Einschränkung (-en) restrictions, limits (n.)
r Einwanderer (-) immigrant
e Einwanderung immigration
e Einwanderungsbehörde immigration authorities, INS
e Entscheidung (-en) decision
eine Entscheidung treffen to make a decision
s Erdbeben earthquake
r Erdbebenmesser seismograph
s Erdbebenmessgerät seismograph
e Erderwärmung global warming
r Erdrutsch landslide
erhalten to receive
die EU European Union (see more below)
in der EU in the EU
r Euro euro, the common currency (Währung) of 11 EU nations
Europäische Union (die EU) European Union (EU)
Germany and Austria are both members of the 15-nation EU. Switzerland is not.
e Euthanasie euthanasia
F
FDP (die) FDP, the Free Democrats (German political party)
See the Political Parties Glossary
e Flaute recession, slowdown (econ.), doldrums
aus der Flaute herauskommen to recover (economically), come out of a slowdown
e Flut (-en) flood(s); high tide
e Flutkatastrophe (-n) disastrous flood
e Flutwelle (-n) tsunami(s), "tidal wave"
e Jahrhundertflut flood of the century, 100-year flood
Germany experienced die Jahrhundertflut an der Elbe in August 2002, when massive flooding caused devastation all along the Elbe river, particularly in Dresden.
Date and Time Glossary
G
gefrierender Regen freezing rain
s Gehirn brain
r Gehirntod, Hirntod brain death
gehirntot, hirntot brain-dead
s Gesetz law
neue Gesetze new laws
e Gewalt violence
rechte Gewalt rightwing (skinhead) violence
e Gewerkschaft(en) (labor) union(s)
s Gewitter thunderstorm, lightning storm
die Grünen (pl.) Green Party, the Greens
rot-grün red-green (coalition of the "red" SPD and the Greens)
Tips and strategies for following the
news, sports and weather in German.
H
e Haft custody, arrest, detention
in Haft nehmen put under arrest, put in detention
verhaften to arrest
r Haftbefehl warrant (for arrest)
Hartz IV (Hartz vier) German pension-reform legislation (2004) named for its chief architect, Dr. Peter Hartz
e Heuchelei hypocrisy
e Hinrichtung execution
hinrichten execute (kill)
hirnamputiert brain-damaged (hum.)
hirngeschädigt brain-damaged (med.)
r Hirntod/Gehirntod brain death
hirntot/gehirntot brain-dead
e Hochschule(n) college(s), university (-ties), higher education
s Hochwasser flood, flooding
I
r ICE Intercity Express (high-speed train)
K
r Kanzler chancellor (see Bundeskanzler above)
kassieren to collect, receive (taxes)
r Klon clone (n.)
klonen (v.) to clone
s Klonen cloning (n.)
königlich royal (adj.)
s Königreich kingdom
e Konfrontation confrontation auf Konfrontationskurs gehen to head for a confrontation, go on the offensive
KPD KPD, the Communist Party of Germany (political party)
L
e Lawine avalanche
e Schlammlawine mudslide
s Leben life
ums Leben kommen to lose your life, to die
viele Menschen kamen ums Leben many people died/lost their lives
s Lebenserhaltungssystem life-support system
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