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German Word of the Day

With Sample Sentences in German and English

die Habseligkeiten (pl)  (meager) belongings, possessions

Das Kind nahm seine ganzen Habseligkeiten aus seiner Hosentasche.
The child took all his meager possessions out of his pants pocket.

Note: "Habseligkeiten" was chosen as the most beautiful German word by a jury that included the German singer Herbert Grönemeyer, film director Josef Vilsmaier, and writer Uwe Timm. Doris Kalka liked the word because it has a kind, sympathetic undertone. "Habseligkeiten" are the modest belongings of a child or a homeless person—rather than the wealth and possessions of a rich person. This week we presented the top five winners of a contest in which over 22,000 entries were received from 111 countries. - See All Top Five Words chosen.

Related: der Besitz property, possessions

MORE > All Top Five Words - The most beautiful German words

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