wet nurse / nurse
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wet nurse
A woman who, for payment, breastfeeds and cares for another woman's child. This profession was especially common in earlier times.
Da die Königin keine Milch hatte, wurde eine Amme für den Prinzen gesucht.
Since the queen had no milk, a wet nurse was sought for the prince.
nanny
A person who looks after another, usually adult, person in an overprotective way and does everything for them. Often used derogatorily.
Du bist erwachsen, du brauchst keine Amme, die dir ständig hinterherräumt!
You're an adult; you don't need a nanny constantly cleaning up after you!
nurse
In zoology, an animal, such as a worker bee, that feeds and cares for the young in a colony.
Die jungen Larven im Bienenstock werden von den Ammen versorgt.
The young larvae in the beehive are cared for by the nurse bees.
A very common word derived from 'Amme' (wet nurse) is 'das Ammenmärchen' (old wives' tale). It refers to a widespread but false belief or an unbelievable story.
Die Idee, dass man von kalten Füßen eine Erkältung bekommt, ist ein Ammenmärchen.
The idea that you get a cold from having cold feet is an old wives' tale.
You can recognize the meaning from the context: in historical texts about families or nobility, it refers to the breastfeeding woman. In everyday language, it is usually a negative description of an overprotective person. In biological texts, it refers to animals.
Im 18. Jahrhundert war es üblich, dass wohlhabende Familien eine Amme beschäftigten.
In the 18th century, it was common for wealthy families to employ a wet nurse.
When 'Amme' (nanny) is used for a person who takes care of another adult, it is always meant figuratively and negatively. The expression criticizes the care as exaggerated and inappropriate.
Er ist 30 und seine Mutter wäscht immer noch seine Wäsche – sie ist seine persönliche Amme.
He is 30, and his mother still washes his clothes — she is his personal nanny.
The original meaning is now almost only historical. The profession of the wet nurse has disappeared in many cultures. You therefore find the word mainly in books, films, or texts set in the past.
In der Biografie der Königin wurde auch ihre Amme erwähnt.
The queen's wet nurse was also mentioned in the biography.
babysitter
A Babysitter usually looks after children for a few hours while their parents are away. Amme can be used derogatorily to describe someone who treats another person, usually an adult, overprotectively and does everything for them. The key differences are therefore the duration and type of care and the age of the person being cared for.
Paul ist erwachsen und braucht keine Amme, die ihm jede Aufgabe abnimmt.
Paul is an adult and does not need someone to do every task for him.
Für den Abend engagieren die Eltern einen Babysitter für ihren Sohn.
The parents hire a babysitter for their son for the evening.
