der Albtraum
nightmare
A very bad, frightening dream from which you often wake up.
EXAMPLE
Ich hatte letzte Nacht einen furchtbaren Albtraum von Spinnen.
I had a terrible nightmare about spiders last night.
der Albtraum
nightmare
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Meanings
der Albtraum
nightmare
A very bad, terrible, or unpleasant experience or situation while awake.
EXAMPLE
Die stundenlange Zugfahrt ohne Klimaanlage war ein absoluter Albtraum.
The hours-long train journey without air conditioning was an absolute nightmare.
Usage tips
Compound structure
The word is made up of 'Alb' and 'Traum'. An 'Alb' is, in old legends, an evil spirit or demon that sits on the chest of sleeping people at night and causes fear. So an 'Albtraum' (nightmare) is literally the 'dream caused by an Alb'.
EXAMPLE
Früher glaubten die Menschen, dass böse Geister Albträume bringen.
In the past, people believed that evil spirits brought nightmares.
Typical collocations
When referring to a bad dream, the word is often used with certain verbs. Typical combinations are 'einen Albtraum haben' (to have a nightmare) or 'aus einem Albtraum aufwachen' (to wake up from a nightmare).
EXAMPLE
Ich bin schweißgebadet aus einem schlimmen Albtraum aufgewacht.
I woke up drenched in sweat from a terrible nightmare.
Figurative meaning
In the figurative meaning for a terrible experience, 'Albtraum' (nightmare) is often intensified with adjectives like 'absolut' (absolute), 'rein' (pure), or 'wahr' (true). A situation can also 'zum Albtraum werden' (turn into a nightmare).
EXAMPLE
Die Renovierung unseres Hauses wurde zum reinsten Albtraum.
The renovation of our house turned into a complete nightmare.
Compare with
Albtraum vs Horror
horror
„Horror“ and „Albtraum“ can both describe an extremely terrible experience. „Horror“ emphasizes how terrible and distressing it is; „Albtraum“ presents it figuratively as an almost unbearable experience. In figurative use, the words therefore often overlap.
Albtraum
Die stundenlange Fahrt im überfüllten Zug war ein Albtraum.
The hours-long journey on the overcrowded train was a nightmare.
Horror
Die stundenlange Fahrt im überfüllten Zug war der Horror.
The hours-long journey on the overcrowded train was pure horror.
In real life
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