der Alkohol
alcohol
A general term for alcoholic drinks such as beer, wine, or liquor.
EXAMPLE
Der Arzt hat ihm geraten, weniger Alkohol zu trinken.
The doctor advised him to drink less alcohol.
der Alkohol
alcohol
der Alkohol, die Alkohole
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Meanings
der Alkohol
alcohol
The chemical substance ethanol, which is contained in these drinks and has an intoxicating effect. Also used as a disinfectant or solvent.
EXAMPLE
Die Wunde wurde mit reinem Alkohol desinfiziert.
The wound was disinfected with pure alcohol.
unter Alkohol stehen
under the influence
The state of being drunk or under the influence of alcohol.
EXAMPLE
Der Fahrer stand bei dem Unfall eindeutig unter Alkohol.
The driver was clearly under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Alkohol, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | masculine der |
|---|---|
| plural | die Alkohole |
| genitive | des Alkohols |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | der Alkohol | die Alkohole |
| accusative | den Alkohol | die Alkohole |
| dative | dem Alkohol | den Alkoholen |
| genitive | des Alkohols | der Alkohole |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Typical collocations
When 'Alkohol' (alcohol) refers to drinks, it is often combined with verbs such as 'trinken' (to drink), 'vertragen' (to tolerate / to be able to handle), or 'verzichten auf' (to give up / to abstain from). In this context, the word is usually uncountable.
EXAMPLE
Seit einem Jahr verzichtet er komplett auf Alkohol.
He has completely given up alcohol for a year.
Context clues
You can tell from the context whether the chemical substance is meant. Words such as 'rein' (pure), 'Prozent' (percent), 'desinfizieren' (to disinfect), or a medical or chemical context point to this meaning.
EXAMPLE
Diese Lösung enthält 70 Prozent Alkohol.
This solution contains 70 percent alcohol.
Register and usage
The expressions 'unter Alkohol stehen' (to be under the influence of alcohol) or 'unter Alkoholeinfluss stehen' (to be under the influence of alcohol) are formal, official ways to say that someone is drunk. They are frequently used by the police, in news reports, or in official reports.
EXAMPLE
Laut Polizeibericht stand der Unfallverursacher unter Alkoholeinfluss.
According to the police report, the person who caused the accident was under the influence of alcohol.
Compare with
Alkohol vs Sprit
fuel / booze
Alkohol is the neutral term for alcoholic drinks or the substance they contain. Sprit can also colloquially mean an alcoholic drink, but it usually suggests strong alcohol such as schnapps. Use Alkohol in neutral statements, and Sprit in casual statements about strong alcohol.
Alkohol
Auf der Getränkekarte steht, wie viel Alkohol der Punsch enthält.
The drinks menu states how much alcohol the punch contains.
Sprit
Für die Feier kaufte er starken Sprit.
He bought some strong booze for the party.
In real life
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