01
amerikanisch
American
Relating to the United States of America (USA), its inhabitants, its culture, or its politics.
example
Er liebt amerikanische Filme und Fast Food.
He loves American films and fast food.
amerikanisch
American
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
01 / 02
Usage tips
Context clue
Most of the time, 'amerikanisch' (American) refers to the USA. If the whole continent is meant, this is often made clear by the context (e.g., geography, biology) or by additional words such as 'der amerikanische Kontinent' (the American continent).
EXAMPLE
Viele verbinden mit der amerikanischen Kultur vor allem Hollywood-Filme.
Many people associate American culture above all with Hollywood films.
Common mistake
In German, adjectives derived from geographical names ending in '-isch' are written in lowercase. This is an important difference from English, where they are capitalized.
EXAMPLE
Sie liest gerne amerikanische Literatur im Original.
She enjoys reading American literature in the original.
Typical collocations
In connection with the USA, 'amerikanisch' (American) is often used for cultural or political terms. Typical examples are 'der amerikanische Traum' (the American dream), 'ein amerikanischer Präsident' (an American president), or 'amerikanische Popkultur' (American pop culture).
EXAMPLE
Der amerikanische Traum verspricht Erfolg durch harte Arbeit.
The American dream promises success through hard work.
Compare with
amerikanisch vs kanadisch
Canadian
'amerikanisch' and 'kanadisch' both describe origin, culture, or things from North America. In everyday language, 'amerikanisch' usually means the USA, for example American films or American politics. 'kanadisch' means Canadian. The words can be confused because Canada is also on the American continent and many things may seem similar. If you are speaking specifically about Canada, 'kanadisch' is correct. If you mean the USA, 'amerikanisch' is natural. In a very broad sense, 'amerikanisch' can also mean the entire American continent, but that must be clear from the context.
amerikanisch
Er sieht gern amerikanische Serien im Original.
He likes watching American series in the original language.
kanadisch
Morgen trifft die Firma einen kanadischen Kunden aus Toronto.
Tomorrow the company is meeting a Canadian customer from Toronto.
In real life
Loading video examples...