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Das Archiv:
Das Wort des Tages

German Vocabulary Archives

German Word of the Day (S-Z)

A collection of German vocabulary from our daily Wort des Tages for 2000, organized alphabetically (German-English).

Also see our annotated English-German Glossaries on a variety of topics!

Vocabulary - Wortschatz: A-F | G-R | S-Z

S

der Sand sand
die/das gibt es wie Sand am Meer
there are tons/heaps of them/that; they're countless; there's no end of/to them
BEISPIEL: "Diese billigen Handys gibt es wie Sand am Meer." = "There are tons of these cheap cell phones (on the market)."

der Schalter
counter, window (bank, post office); (light) switch
schalten
to switch; shift (gears)

die Schlange snake
Schlange stehen - eine Autoschlange
to stand in line - a long line of cars
Extra: Ein Schlange-Witz - "Was ist der Unterschied zwischen einer Schlange und einer Autoschlange?" - "Bei einer Autoschlange befindet sich das Arschloch vorne."

die Schnecke snail
jemanden zur Schnecke machen
to yell at s.o., to tear into s.o.; give s.o. a dressing down
Extra: ZITAT - «Er machte fünf verschiedene Leute zur Schnecke.» (S. 8, Harry Potter I)
English: "He yelled at five different people." (The words for this week were taken from the German edition of Harry Potter.)

die Schöpfung creation (in Bible)
Extra: See The Bible in German

die Schwerkraft gravity
Extra: More in our Aerospace Glossary

die Seifenoper soap opera (TV)

Silvester - der Silvesterabend New Year's Eve
Extra: More in our Neujahr Glossary and Christmas Glossary

der Stammbaum family tree, pedigree
stammen (aus/von)
come, originate, stem (from)
Extra: More in our Die Familie Glossar

stehenbleiben (v.) to stop, come to a stop
wie angewurzelt stehenbleiben
to come to a dead stop
Extra: ZITAT - «Mr. Dursley blieb wie angewurzelt stehen.» (S. 8, Harry Potter I)
English: "Mr. Dursley stopped dead." (The words for this week were taken from the German edition of Harry Potter.)

stellvertretend
acting (mayor), deputy (director), (acting) as deputy or representative
der stellvertretende Vorsitzende the acting chairman
der Stellvertreter deputy, proxy, representative

das Steuer (am Steuer) helm, tiller, wheel (at the wheel)
die Steuer tax

stiften (v.)
to fund, endow; donate; create, found, establish
die Stiftung (n.)
endowment, foundation, donation

die Stimme voice
mit piepsiger Stimme in a squeaky voice
Extra: ZITAT - «..als er mit piepsiger Stimme sagte:..» (S. 9, Harry Potter I)
English: "...and he said in a squeaky voice..." (The words for this week were taken from the German edition of Harry Potter.)

Wort des Tages - Anfänger
The German Word of the Day for Beginners

T

der Tag
1. day, 24 hours
In compound words:
2. parliament, diet - as in...
der Bundestag, Landtag, Reichstag
3. (mining) surface - as in...
der Tagbau (open-pit mining)

der Jüngste Tag Judgment Day, the Last Judgment (biblical)

   am helllichten Tag (new spelling)
   am hellichten Tag (old spelling)
   in broad daylight

an den Tag kommen (also: ans Licht kommen)
to come to light, be revealed

der Tag der offenen Tür
open house ("day of the open door")

tagen
to dawn, become day; to dawn on s.o.
to meet, hold a conference/convention (die Tagung)
to deliberate, confer

täglich
daily, every day
zweimal täglich
twice a day

das ganze Theater
an unnecessary, exagerrated fuss
BEISPIEL: "Es ist immer das gleiche Theater." = "It's always the same old story/fuss."

U

das U-Boot
(German) submarine (pronounced: UUH-BOAT)

übersetzen (v.)
to translate
ins Deutsche übersetzen
to translate into German
die Übersetzung
the translation
Extra: Many people fail to make the distinction between übersetzen and dolmetschen, to interpret. Translation is written (books, letters, etc.), while interpreting is oral (spoken language). A Dolmetscher/in is an interpreter for spoken language; an Übersetzer/in is a translator of books or other written language.

die Uhr
clock, watch
der Uhrturm
clock tower

unserer Zeitrechnung (u.Z.)
CE (Common Era), AD

unter Dach und Fach
signed, sealed, and delivered; a done deal; in the bag
   das Dach - das Fach
   the roof - the subject
   das Fachwerk
   half-timbered construction
BEISPIEL: "Das neue Gesetz war unter Dach und Fach." ("The new law was a done deal.")

uralt
ancient
der Urwald
the jungle
die Urzeit
prehistoric times (not to be confused with "die Uhrzeit" = clock time; as in: "Haben Sie die Uhrzeit?", "Do you have the time [on your watch]?")
Extra: The prefix ur- carries the meaning of ancient, way back in time, or "great" (as in Urgroßvater, great-grandfather).

V

verdutzt
baffled, stumped, taken aback
Extra: ZITAT - «Harry blickte Ron an, der genauso verdutzt aussah wie er...» (S. 152, Harry Potter I)
English: "Harry glanced at Ron, who looked just as stumped as he was..." (The words for this week were taken from the German edition of Harry Potter.)

(sich) verwirren
to confuse, get confused; entangle
verwirrend
confusing
verwirrt
confused; entangled
die Verwirrung
confusion; entanglment
in Verwirrung geraten
to get confused, get into confusion

der Vollkasko (die Autoversicherung)
comprehensive coverage (auto insurance) (eine Vollkaskoversicherung)
der Teilkasko
limited, partial coverage (eine Teilkaskoversicherung)

auf dem Vormarsch sein
to be on the advance, to be at the forefront

W

der Weltraumspaziergang
space walk
Extra: More in our Aerospace Glossary

widrig (adj./adv.)
adverse, unfavorable
die Widrigkeit(en)
adversity (pl., adversities)
BEISPIEL: "Er hat in seinem Leben viele Widrigkeiten überstanden." = "He withstood many adversities during his lifetime."