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German Student Dictionary — Part 16
Dictionary entries, alphabetical: Dolmetscher – dumm.
Maskulin Feminin Neutrum Plural
der Dolmetscher — interpreter
Feminine: die Dolmetscherin (plural die Dolmetscherinnen). Plural of "der Dolmetscher": die Dolmetscher (unchanged, like "der Lehrer"). The dictionary's own example uses the feminine form without an article, since professions after "als" drop the article in German: "Sie arbeitet als Dolmetscherin bei der U.N.O." = "She works as an interpreter at the United Nations."
Nom Der Dolmetscher übersetzt die Rede.
The interpreter translates the speech.
der Dolmetscher (maskulin) = interpreter · übersetzen = to translate · die Rede = speech. "Der" — maskulin Nominativ. Dolmetscher is the subject.
Akk Wir brauchen den Dolmetscher für die Konferenz.
We need the interpreter for the conference.
brauchen = to need · die Konferenz = conference. "Den" because maskulin Akkusativ (der → den). Dolmetscher is the direct object.
Dat Sie dankt dem Dolmetscher für seine Hilfe.
She thanks the interpreter for his help.
danken = to thank (+ Dativ) · die Hilfe = help. "Dem" because maskulin Dativ (der → dem).
Nom Ein Dolmetscher sitzt neben dem Redner.
An interpreter sits next to the speaker.
sitzen = to sit · der Redner = speaker. "Ein" — no ending before maskulin Nominativ, same as "der."
Akk Die Firma sucht einen Dolmetscher für Deutsch und Englisch.
The company is looking for an interpreter for German and English.
die Firma = company · suchen = to look for. "Einen" because maskulin Akkusativ indefinite (ein → einen) — mirrors der → den.
Dat Die Politiker sprechen mit den Dolmetschern.
The politicians speak with the interpreters.
der Politiker = politician · sprechen mit = to speak with (+ Dativ). Plural Dativ: the article is "den", and Dolmetscher adds "-n" (Dolmetscher → Dolmetschern) since it doesn't already end in -n or -s.
das Dominospiel — dominoes
Plural: die Dominospiele. Built from "Domino" + "das Spiel" (game). The dictionary's own example uses the shorter form "Domino" instead of the full compound, since game names are usually used without an article as the object of "spielen": "Weißt du, wie man Domino spielt?" = "Do you know how to play dominoes?"
Nom Das Dominospiel liegt auf dem Regal.
The dominoes game is on the shelf.
das Dominospiel (neutral) = dominoes (game) · das Regal = shelf. "Das" — neutral Nominativ. Dominospiel is the subject.
Akk Die Kinder holen das Dominospiel aus dem Schrank.
The children get the dominoes game out of the cupboard.
holen aus = to get out of (+ Dativ) · der Schrank = cupboard. Neutral Akkusativ keeps the same form as Nominativ (das → das). Dominospiel is the direct object here.
Dat Wir haben viel Spaß mit dem Dominospiel.
We have a lot of fun with the dominoes game.
der Spaß = fun · mit = with (always Dativ). "Dem" because neutral Dativ (das → dem).
Nom Ein Dominospiel kostet nicht viel.
A dominoes game doesn't cost much.
kosten = to cost. "Ein" — no ending before neutral Nominativ, same as "das."
Akk Meine Großeltern schenken mir ein Dominospiel.
My grandparents give me a dominoes game as a gift.
schenken = to give as a gift. Neutral Akkusativ indefinite looks identical to Nominativ — the article never changes for neuter nouns between these two cases.
Dat Die Schüler spielen in der Pause mit den Dominospielen.
The students play with the dominoes games during break.
der Schüler = student · die Pause = break. Plural Dativ: the article is "den", and Dominospiel adds "-n" (Dominospiele → Dominospielen) since it doesn't already end in -n or -s.
der Donner — thunder
Usually used without an article in idiomatic phrases like "Angst vor Donner" (afraid of thunder) — the dictionary's own example: "Meine kleine Schwester hat Angst vor Donner." = "My little sister is afraid of thunder." Plural (referring to distinct claps of thunder): die Donner, unchanged.
Nom Der Donner rollt über die Berge.
The thunder rolls over the mountains.
der Donner (maskulin) = thunder · rollen = to roll · der Berg, -e = mountain. "Der" — maskulin Nominativ. Donner is the subject.
Akk Ich höre den Donner in der Ferne.
I hear the thunder in the distance.
hören = to hear · die Ferne = distance. "Den" because maskulin Akkusativ (der → den). Donner is the direct object.
Dat Der Hund erschrickt vor dem Donner.
The dog is startled by the thunder.
sich erschrecken vor = to be startled by (+ Dativ). "Dem" because maskulin Dativ (der → dem).
Nom Ein lauter Donner weckt das Baby.
A loud clap of thunder wakes the baby.
laut = loud · wecken = to wake (someone) up. "Ein" — no ending before maskulin Nominativ, same as "der."
Akk Wir hören einen Donner nach dem Blitz.
We hear a clap of thunder after the lightning.
der Blitz, -e = lightning. "Einen" because maskulin Akkusativ indefinite (ein → einen) — mirrors der → den.
Dat Die Kinder fürchten sich vor den lauten Donnern in dieser Nacht.
The children are afraid of the loud thunderclaps tonight.
sich fürchten vor = to be afraid of (+ Dativ) · die Nacht, ä-e = night. Plural Dativ: the article is "den", and Donner adds "-n" (Donner → Donnern) since it doesn't already end in -n or -s.
der Donnerstag — Thursday
Plural: die Donnerstage. Built from "Donner" (thunder, linked to the Germanic thunder-god Donar/Thor) + "der Tag" (day) — literally "Thor's day," the same origin as English "Thursday."
Nom Der Donnerstag ist mein Lieblingstag.
Thursday is my favorite day.
der Donnerstag (maskulin) = Thursday · der Lieblingstag = favorite day. "Der" — maskulin Nominativ. Donnerstag is the subject.
Akk Wir planen den Donnerstag für die Prüfung.
We are planning Thursday for the exam.
planen = to plan · die Prüfung = exam/test. "Den" because maskulin Akkusativ (der → den).
Dat Die Klasse trifft sich am Dienstag und am Donnerstag.
The class meets on Tuesday and Thursday.
sich treffen = to meet · der Dienstag = Tuesday · am = an + dem (contraction). "Am" absorbs "dem" — maskulin Dativ (der → dem), the pattern used for days of the week with "an." The dictionary's own example.
Nom Ein Donnerstag im Juli ist meist heiß.
A Thursday in July is usually hot.
der Juli = July · meist = usually/mostly · heiß = hot. "Ein" — no ending before maskulin Nominativ, same as "der."
Akk Sie wählt einen Donnerstag für die Party.
She chooses a Thursday for the party.
wählen = to choose · die Party = party. "Einen" because maskulin Akkusativ indefinite (ein → einen) — mirrors der → den.
Dat An den Donnerstagen haben wir Deutschunterricht.
On Thursdays we have German class.
der Deutschunterricht = German class. Plural Dativ: the article is "den", and Donnerstag adds "-n" (Donnerstage → Donnerstagen) since it doesn't already end in -n or -s.
das Dorf — village
Plural: die Dörfer (umlaut + -er, like "das Land" → "die Länder"). The dictionary's own example uses the compound "die Dorfmitte" (village center): "Die Kirche ist in der Dorfmitte." = "The church is in the center of the village."
Nom Das Dorf liegt in den Bergen.
The village lies in the mountains.
das Dorf (neutral) = village · liegen = to lie/be located · der Berg, -e = mountain. "Das" — neutral Nominativ. Dorf is the subject.
Akk Wir besuchen das Dorf am Wochenende.
We are visiting the village on the weekend.
besuchen = to visit · das Wochenende = weekend. Neutral Akkusativ keeps the same form as Nominativ (das → das).
Dat Die Familie wohnt schon seit Jahren im Dorf.
The family has lived in the village for years already.
wohnen = to live · seit Jahren = for years · im = in + dem (contraction). "Im" absorbs "dem" — neutral Dativ (das → dem).
Nom Ein Dorf braucht eine gute Straße.
A village needs a good road.
brauchen = to need · die Straße = street/road. "Ein" — no ending before neutral Nominativ, same as "das."
Akk Der Regisseur wählt ein kleines Dorf als Drehort.
The director chooses a small village as a filming location.
der Regisseur = director · der Drehort = filming location. Neutral Akkusativ indefinite looks identical to Nominativ — the article never changes for neuter nouns between these two cases.
Dat Der Bus hält in den kleinen Dörfern nicht oft.
The bus doesn't stop often in the small villages.
halten = to stop. Plural Dativ: the article is "den"; Dorf's plural already takes umlaut + -er (Dörfer), and then adds "-n" (Dörfer → Dörfern) since it doesn't already end in -n or -s.
dort — there
Marks a fixed location ("there"), as opposed to "dorthin" (to there, showing direction). The dictionary's broader gloss — "from there," "around there" — reflects how "dort" can describe a general area depending on context, not a separate ending.
Meine Mutter hat uns dort getroffen.
My mother met us there.
treffen = to meet (Perfekt: hat...getroffen). "Dort" refers to a place already mentioned or understood from context.
Bleib dort, bis ich komme!
Stay there until I come!
bleiben = to stay · bis = until. Imperative form "bleib" (du-command).
es gibt — there is / there are
Governs Akkusativ, no matter whether the noun that follows is singular or plural — one of the most common German constructions. Literally "it gives," from "geben" (to give). A distinct, essential phrase bundled with "dort" in the source, not related to it in meaning.
Es gibt einen Park in der Nähe.
There is a park nearby.
der Park, -s = park · in der Nähe = nearby. "Einen Park" is Akkusativ — the noun after "es gibt" is always a direct object, not a subject.
Es gibt viele Fragen zu diesem Thema.
There are many questions on this topic.
die Frage, -n = question · das Thema = topic. "Es gibt" doesn't change for plural — always "es gibt," never "es geben."
der Drache — dragon
Weak noun — takes "-n" in every case except Nominativ singular (den/dem/des Drachen), the same pattern as "der Junge" or "der Kunde." Plural: die Drachen (same form as the Akkusativ/Dativ singular). The dictionary's own example already shows the weak ending: "Der Ritter kämpft mit einem Drachen." = "The knight is fighting a dragon" — "Drachen," not "Drache," even after the indefinite article.
Nom Der Drache spuckt Feuer.
The dragon spits fire.
der Drache, -n (maskulin, schwach) = dragon · spucken = to spit · das Feuer = fire. "Der" — maskulin Nominativ. As a weak noun, Drache keeps this bare form only in Nominativ singular.
Akk Die Ritter besiegen den Drachen.
The knights defeat the dragon.
der Ritter = knight · besiegen = to defeat. "Den Drachen" — maskulin Akkusativ; as a weak noun, Drache adds "-n" here too, not just the article.
Dat Der Ritter nähert sich dem Drachen.
The knight approaches the dragon.
sich nähern = to approach (+ Dativ). "Dem Drachen" — maskulin Dativ; the weak "-n" ending applies here too.
Nom Ein Drache fliegt über das Schloss.
A dragon flies over the castle.
fliegen über = to fly over · das Schloss, ö-er = castle. "Ein" — no ending, maskulin Nominativ indefinite; weak nouns still keep the bare form here, same as with "der."
Akk Das Kind zeichnet einen Drachen.
The child draws a dragon.
das Kind = child · zeichnen = to draw. "Einen Drachen" — maskulin Akkusativ indefinite; the weak "-n" ending applies here too (einen Drachen, not einen Drache).
Dat Die Ritter kämpfen mit den Drachen.
The knights fight with the dragons.
kämpfen mit = to fight with (+ Dativ). Plural Dativ: the article is "den"; Drache's plural is already "Drachen" (it ends in -n from the weak declension), so no further "-n" is added.
drehen — to turn
Regular verb — ich drehe, du drehst, er/sie dreht. The prefixed forms "andrehen" (to turn on) and "abdrehen" (to turn off) are separable-verb siblings with opposite meanings — see their own entries just below.
Drehe das Fleisch um und brate es auf der anderen Seite.
Turn the meat over and cook the other side.
umdrehen = to turn over/around — a separable-prefix cousin of "drehen" (um- = around). "Drehe...um" — imperative, the prefix "um" moves to the end. braten = to fry/cook.
Sie dreht den Schlüssel im Schloss.
She turns the key in the lock.
der Schlüssel = key · das Schloss, ö-er = lock. Plain "drehen" (no prefix) = to turn/rotate something.
andrehen — to turn on
Separable verb: an- + drehen. Present tense: ich drehe an, du drehst an, er/sie dreht an... Used especially for dials, valves, and taps ("Wasser andrehen," "Radio andrehen") — "einschalten" is the more general word for switching on electronics.
Er dreht das Radio an.
He turns on the radio.
das Radio, -s = radio. "Dreht...an" — separable verb, the prefix "an" moves to the end in a main clause.
Dreh das Wasser an, bitte!
Turn on the water, please!
das Wasser = water. Imperative form (du-command), prefix "an" still moves to the end.
abdrehen — to turn off
Separable verb: ab- + drehen. Present tense: ich drehe ab, du drehst ab, er/sie dreht ab... The opposite of "andrehen" — also used for dials, valves, and taps.
Sie dreht das Gas ab.
She turns off the gas.
das Gas = gas. "Dreht...ab" — separable verb, the prefix "ab" moves to the end in a main clause.
drei — three
Cardinal number — invariable, it never takes case or gender endings like an adjective would.
Das kleine Kind ist drei Jahre alt.
The young child is three years old.
klein = small/young · das Jahr, -e = year · alt = old. "Drei" doesn't change form here, regardless of the case of "Jahre."
das Dreieck — triangle
Plural: die Dreiecke. Built from "drei" (three) + "das Eck" (corner) — compare "das Viereck" (square/quadrilateral, literally "four-corner").
Nom Das Dreieck hat drei Seiten.
The triangle has three sides.
das Dreieck (neutral) = triangle · die Seite, -n = side. "Das" — neutral Nominativ. Dreieck is the subject.
Akk Der Lehrer zeichnet das Dreieck an die Tafel.
The teacher draws the triangle on the board.
zeichnen = to draw · die Tafel = (chalk)board. Neutral Akkusativ keeps the same form as Nominativ (das → das).
Dat Der Punkt liegt im Dreieck.
The point lies inside the triangle.
der Punkt = point · liegen in = to lie inside (+ Dativ) · im = in + dem (contraction). "Im" absorbs "dem" — neutral Dativ (das → dem).
Nom Das Schild ist ein Dreieck.
The sign is a triangle.
das Schild, -er = sign. "Ein" — no ending before neutral Nominativ, same as "das." Here Dreieck is a predicate noun naming the sign's shape, still Nominativ indefinite. The dictionary's own example.
Akk Wir malen ein Dreieck.
We paint a triangle.
malen = to paint/draw. Neutral Akkusativ indefinite looks identical to Nominativ — the article never changes for neuter nouns between these two cases.
Dat Die Schüler vergleichen die Winkel in den Dreiecken.
The students compare the angles in the triangles.
vergleichen = to compare · der Winkel = angle. Plural Dativ: the article is "den", and Dreieck adds "-n" (Dreiecke → Dreiecken) since it doesn't already end in -n or -s.
dreißig — thirty
Cardinal number — invariable, like all numbers above "eins."
Der September hat dreißig Tage.
There are thirty days in September.
der September = September · der Tag, -e = day. "Dreißig" doesn't change form, regardless of the case of "Tage."
dreizehn — thirteen
Numbers 13–19 follow the pattern stem + "-zehn" (dreizehn, vierzehn...).
Auf dem Kuchen sind dreizehn Kerzen.
There are thirteen candles on the cake.
der Kuchen = cake · die Kerze, -n = candle. "Dreizehn" doesn't change form here.
dringend — urgent / pressing
Also covers "strong" in the sense of an intense need or request, e.g. "ein dringender Wunsch" (a strong/urgent wish).
Ich habe heute eine dringende Verabredung.
I have a pressing engagement today.
die Verabredung, -en = engagement/appointment. "Dringende" — feminin Akkusativ weak-adjective ending (-e) after "eine."
die Drogerie — drugstore
Plural: die Drogerien. A "Drogerie" sells toiletries, cosmetics, and over-the-counter items — not prescription medicine, which comes from "die Apotheke."
Nom Die Drogerie ist um die Ecke.
The drugstore is around the corner.
die Drogerie (feminin) = drugstore · um die Ecke = around the corner. "Die" — feminin Nominativ. Drogerie is the subject.
Akk Ich besuche die Drogerie nach der Schule.
I visit the drugstore after school.
besuchen = to visit · die Schule = school. Feminine nouns keep "die" in both Nominativ and Akkusativ — no change here.
Dat Meine Großmutter kauft ihre Medizin in der Drogerie.
My grandmother buys her medicine at the drugstore.
die Medizin = medicine · kaufen = to buy. "Der" because feminin Dativ (die → der) after "in." The dictionary's own example.
Nom Eine Drogerie eröffnet nächste Woche in unserer Straße.
A drugstore is opening next week on our street.
eröffnen = to open · die Straße = street. "Eine" — feminin Nominativ indefinite, no extra ending.
Akk Wir suchen eine Drogerie in der Stadt.
We are looking for a drugstore in the city.
suchen = to look for · die Stadt, ä-e = city. "Eine" stays "eine" in Akkusativ — feminine indefinite is unchanged from Nominativ, the same pattern as "die"/"die" for the definite article.
Dat In den Drogerien gibt es oft Rabatte.
There are often discounts at drugstores.
der Rabatt, -e = discount. Plural Dativ: the article is "den"; Drogerien already ends in "-n" (from its own "-ien" plural), so no further "-n" is added.
drucken — to print
Regular verb — ich drucke, du druckst, er/sie druckt, wir drucken. No stem change. Don't confuse with "drücken" (to press/push), a different verb.
Hier wird die Zeitung gedruckt.
This is where they print the newspaper.
die Zeitung, -en = newspaper. Passive voice: "wird...gedruckt" (werden + past participle).
Ich drucke das Dokument für die Schule.
I'm printing the document for school.
das Dokument, -e = document. Present tense, regular ich-form.
dumm — stupid / foolish
Also seen with other endings depending on the case and gender of the noun it describes: "seine dummen Bemerkungen" (his dumb remarks, plural) and "einen dummen Fehler" (a stupid mistake, maskulin Akkusativ) both come from the dictionary's own examples — the ending changes to match the noun, the way it always does for attributive adjectives.
Es ist dumm, so schnell zu fahren.
It is foolish to drive so fast.
fahren = to drive · so schnell = so fast. Predicate adjective — no ending after "ist."
Das ist ein dummer Witz.
That's a silly joke.
der Witz, -e = joke. Attributive adjective — "-er" ending, maskulin Nominativ after "ein" (mixed declension).