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Vocab: Clothing — B2
Clothing vocabulary at B2 level.
Maskulin Feminin Neutrum Plural
atmungsaktiv — breathable
This adjective is mainly used for clothing, shoes and fabrics that let air and moisture pass through. It is not the same as luftig, which can simply mean airy or having lots of fresh air.
Das Material ist sehr atmungsaktiv.
The material is very breathable.
das Material means the material, and sehr means very. Atmungsaktiv is predicative after ist and therefore has no adjective ending; sein places the adjective after the verb.
Ich kaufe ein atmungsaktives T-Shirt für den Sommer.
I am buying a breathable T-shirt for the summer.
kaufe means buy, das T-Shirt is a T-shirt, and für den Sommer means for the summer. Ein atmungsaktives T-Shirt is accusative because kaufen takes a direct object, and the neuter adjective takes -es after ein.
Diese Jacke ist atmungsaktiver als meine alte.
This jacket is more breathable than my old one.
diese Jacke means this jacket, and alte means old one. The comparative atmungsaktiver is followed by als when two things are compared; after ist, the adjective is predicative and has no ending.
Diese Hose ist am atmungsaktivsten.
These trousers are the most breathable.
diese Hose means these trousers. The superlative uses am plus the -sten form after ist; because it is predicative, there is no adjective ending.
befleckt — stained, tainted, tarnished
befleckt can describe a physical mark, but it is also used figuratively for damaged honour or reputation. It is often a participial adjective from beflecken, and its ending changes when it stands before a noun, as in ein beflecktes Kleid.
Das weiße Hemd ist befleckt.
The white shirt is stained.
weiß means white and das Hemd is the shirt. befleckt is predicative after ist, so it has no adjective ending; the adjective describes the nominative subject das weiße Hemd.
Sie trägt ein beflecktes Kleid.
She is wearing a stained dress.
sie trägt means she is wearing, and das Kleid is the dress. beflecktes comes before Kleid and takes -es after ein because the accusative object is neuter; the finite verb trägt stands in position two.
Der alte Ruf ist befleckter als zuvor.
The old reputation is more tarnished than before.
der Ruf is the reputation, alt means old, and zuvor means before. befleckter is predicative after ist and therefore has no ending; als introduces the comparison.
Dieser Name ist am beflecktesten.
This name is the most tarnished.
dieser Name means this name, and Name can refer to a person’s reputation. am beflecktesten is the predicative superlative after ist; the finite verb is in position two and the adjective phrase follows it.
bloß — bare, uncovered; mere, only
In this adjective sense, bloß describes something uncovered, such as bloße Füße. The same spelling is also commonly used as an adverb meaning “only” or “just”; that is a separate entry.
Seine Füße sind bloß.
His feet are bare.
seine Füße means his feet. Bloß is predicative after sein, so it has no adjective ending, and the finite verb sind stands in position two.
Das Kind läuft mit bloßen Füßen.
The child is walking with bare feet.
das Kind means the child, läuft means is walking, and Füße means feet. Mit always takes the dative, so mit bloßen Füßen has the dative plural ending -en.
Nach dem Unfall war seine Hand noch bloßer als vorher.
After the accident, his hand was even more exposed than before.
nach dem Unfall means after the accident, seine Hand means his hand, and vorher means before. Nach takes the dative, while bloßer is a predicative comparative followed by als.
Seine Arme waren am bloßesten.
His arms were the most exposed.
seine Arme means his arms, and waren means were. The predicative superlative is am bloßesten; it has no adjective ending because it does not stand directly before a noun.
Sie ging mit bloßen Händen in den Schnee.
She went into the snow with bare hands.
ging means went, Hände means hands, and Schnee means snow. Mit bloßen Händen is dative because mit requires the dative, while in den Schnee is accusative because it expresses movement into a place.
Das ist eine bloße Vermutung.
That is only a guess.
eine Vermutung means a guess. Bloße stands before the feminine noun in the nominative and takes -e after eine; the finite verb ist stands in position two.
Er hat nur bloße Worte angeboten.
He offered only empty words.
nur means only, Worte means words, and angeboten means offered. Bloße Worte is an accusative object after hat ... angeboten, and the adjective takes the plural ending -e after bloße with no article.
der Domino — domino mask or costume
The masculine der Domino means a mask or costume, especially one worn at a masked ball. The game is the separate neuter noun das Domino, so learners must check the article.
Der Domino bedeckt sein Gesicht.
The domino mask covers his face.
bedeckt means covers, and sein Gesicht means his face. Der Domino is nominative as the subject, while sein Gesicht is accusative because bedecken takes a direct object.
Sie trägt den Domino auf dem Fest.
She wears the domino costume at the party.
trägt means wears, auf dem Fest means at the party, and Fest means celebration or party. Den Domino is accusative because tragen takes a direct object; auf dem Fest is dative because it describes a location.
Er geht mit dem Domino zum Ball.
He goes to the ball wearing the domino costume.
geht means goes, mit dem Domino means with the domino costume, and zum Ball means to the ball. Dem Domino is dative because mit always governs the dative; zum means zu dem and marks direction.
Die Farbe des Dominos ist schwarz.
The colour of the domino costume is black.
die Farbe means the colour, and schwarz means black. Des Dominos is genitive because it shows whose colour is meant; the masculine noun takes -s in this form.
Im Saal sieht man viele Dominos.
You can see many domino costumes in the hall.
im Saal means in the hall, sieht man means one can see, and viele means many. Dominos is plural and accusative after sehen; the plural ending is -s.
der Näher — male tailor, male sewer
der Näher is a male person who sews professionally; the more general word for a tailor is der Schneider. It is a weak masculine noun: use den Näher, dem Näher, and des Nähers in the non-nominative singular.
Der Näher arbeitet in einer großen Fabrik.
The male tailor works in a large factory.
arbeitet means works, groß means large, and die Fabrik is the factory. Der Näher is nominative because it is the subject; the finite verb arbeitet stands in position two.
Die Firma sucht einen erfahrenen Näher.
The company is looking for an experienced male tailor.
die Firma means the company, sucht means is looking for, and erfahren means experienced. Einen erfahrenen Näher is accusative after suchen; as a weak masculine noun, Näher takes -n in this case.
Der Meister zeigt dem Näher eine neue Technik.
The master shows the male tailor a new technique.
der Meister means the master or senior craftsman, zeigt means shows, and eine neue Technik is a new technique. Dem Näher is dative because it is the person receiving something, and this weak noun has the ending -n in the dative.
Die Arbeit des Nähers ist sehr präzise.
The male tailor’s work is very precise.
die Arbeit means the work, sehr means very, and präzise means precise. Des Nähers is genitive to show possession, and the weak masculine noun adds -s in this form.
In der Werkstatt arbeiten drei Näher.
Three male tailors work in the workshop.
die Werkstatt means the workshop, and drei means three. Drei Näher is the plural subject; the plural form looks like the singular, while in der Werkstatt is dative because it describes a fixed location.
Der Näher repariert den alten Mantel.
The male tailor is repairing the old coat.
repariert means repairs, alt means old, and der Mantel is the coat. Der Näher is nominative as the subject, while den alten Mantel is accusative as the object; the weak-noun ending is not added in the nominative.
weben — to weave
The common everyday past forms are webte and gewebt. The strong forms wob and gewoben also exist, but they are less common and often literary.
Die Weberin webt einen bunten Teppich.
The weaver is weaving a colourful carpet.
die Weberin is a female weaver, and bunt means colourful; der Teppich is a carpet. Einen Teppich is accusative because weben takes a direct object, and the finite verb webt stands in position two.
Die Weberin hat einen bunten Teppich gewebt.
The weaver has woven a colourful carpet.
die Weberin is a female weaver, bunt means colourful, and der Teppich is a carpet. Einen Teppich is accusative because it is the object of weben; the perfect uses hat plus gewebt, which goes to the end.
Früher webte sie Stoff für ihre Familie.
In the past, she wove fabric for her family.
früher means in the past, der Stoff means fabric, and die Familie means family. Für takes the accusative, so ihre Familie is accusative; the simple-past verb webte is in position two.
Web ein Muster in den Stoff!
Weave a pattern into the fabric!
das Muster is a pattern and der Stoff is fabric. Ein Muster is accusative as the direct object, while in den Stoff uses the accusative because it describes movement into the fabric; the imperative comes first.
Wenn sie mehr Zeit hätte, wöbe sie einen großen Wandteppich.
If she had more time, she would weave a large tapestry.
mehr Zeit means more time, groß means large, and der Wandteppich is a wall tapestry. Einen großen Wandteppich is accusative because it is the object; wöbe is the literary or strong Konjunktiv II form of weben, while würde weben is more usual today.
Morgen wird sie ein neues Muster weben.
Tomorrow she will weave a new pattern.
morgen means tomorrow, neu means new, and das Muster is a pattern. Ein neues Muster is accusative because it is the object; wird is in position two and the infinitive weben goes to the end.