das Aschenputtel
underdog
A person, group, or thing that is disadvantaged, undervalued, or neglected.
EXAMPLE
Die kleine Abteilung war lange das Aschenputtel der Firma.
The small department was the company's Cinderella for a long time.
das Aschenputtel
Cinderella
das Aschenputtel
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Meanings
das Aschenputtel
Cinderella
The main character of a fairy tale who is mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters and eventually marries a prince.
EXAMPLE
Die Kinder lasen vor dem Einschlafen das Märchen vom Aschenputtel.
The children read the fairy tale about Cinderella before going to sleep.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Aschenputtel, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | neuter das |
|---|---|
| genitive | des Aschenputtels |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | das Aschenputtel | – |
| accusative | das Aschenputtel | – |
| dative | dem Aschenputtel | – |
| genitive | des Aschenputtels | – |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Figurative use
'Aschenputtel' (Cinderella) is also used outside fairy tales in a figurative sense for a person or group that is disadvantaged or receives little attention. In this usage, the word often appears in a genitive construction with 'der' or 'des'.
EXAMPLE
Bei der Vergabe von Fördermitteln blieb die Stadtbibliothek das Aschenputtel der Kulturpolitik.
When funding was allocated, the city library remained the Cinderella of cultural policy.
Unser Verein galt jahrelang als das Aschenputtel der Liga.
Our club was considered the Cinderella of the league for years.
Typical collocations
In its figurative meaning, 'Aschenputtel' (Cinderella) is often used with words such as 'der Firma' (of the company), 'der Klasse' (of the class), 'der Mannschaft' (of the team), or 'des Wettbewerbs' (of the competition). Common verbs are 'gelten als' (to be considered) and 'sich entwickeln zum' (to develop into).
EXAMPLE
Der schüchterne Junge galt lange als Aschenputtel der Klasse.
The shy boy was considered the Cinderella of the class for a long time.
Das Aschenputtel des Wettbewerbs entwickelte sich überraschend zum Favoriten.
The Cinderella of the competition unexpectedly developed into the favorite.
Fairy tale context
The fairy tale meaning is often recognizable from words related to the story, such as 'Stiefmutter' (stepmother), 'Stiefschwestern' (stepsisters), 'Prinz' (prince), or 'Märchen' (fairy tale). The fixed phrase 'das Märchen vom Aschenputtel' (the fairy tale about Cinderella) is also very common.
EXAMPLE
Im Märchen vom Aschenputtel helfen die Tauben dem Mädchen.
In the fairy tale about Cinderella, the doves help the girl.
Die Kinder kannten das Aschenputtel und seine böse Stiefmutter schon aus dem Bilderbuch.
The children already knew Cinderella and her evil stepmother from the picture book.
In real life
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