der Barbar
barbarian
A person who is regarded as uncivilized, crude, cruel, or uncultured.
EXAMPLE
Nur ein Barbar zerstört mutwillig Kunstwerke.
Only a barbarian deliberately destroys works of art.
der Barbar
barbarian
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Meanings
der Barbar
barbarian
In antiquity, the term used by the Greeks and Romans for members of foreign peoples who did not share their language and culture.
EXAMPLE
Die Römer führten zahlreiche Kriege gegen die als Barbaren bezeichneten germanischen Stämme.
The Romans fought numerous wars against the Germanic tribes referred to as barbarians.
Usage tips
Common mistake
'Der Barbar' (the barbarian) belongs to the N-declension. This means it takes the ending '-en' in all cases except the nominative singular.
EXAMPLE
Die Geschichte handelt von einem Kampf gegen einen Barbaren.
The story is about a fight against a barbarian.
Word family
The noun 'der Barbar' (the barbarian) is closely related to the adjective 'barbarisch' (barbaric), which means 'uncivilized,' 'cruel,' or 'crude.'
EXAMPLE
Die Zerstörung der alten Statuen war ein barbarischer Akt.
The destruction of the ancient statues was a barbaric act.
Register and style
In modern usage, 'Barbar' (barbarian) is a very strong, derogatory term for a person. It is not a neutral description, but a harsh insult.
EXAMPLE
Er nannte die lauten Fußballfans Barbaren.
He called the loud football fans barbarians.
Context clue
You can recognize the historical meaning from the context. If it is about antiquity, the Roman Empire, or ancient peoples, the neutral, historical meaning is intended.
EXAMPLE
Für die Griechen war jeder ein Barbar, der kein Griechisch sprach.
For the Greeks, anyone who did not speak Greek was a barbarian.
Compare with
Barbar vs Hunne
Hun
Barbar and Hunne can be used to disparage a person for crude or cruel behavior. Barbar is the more general term. Hunne portrays the person as especially ruthless or destructive and therefore often sounds even more insulting.
Barbar
Nach seinem rohen Verhalten bezeichneten ihn die anderen als Barbaren.
Because of his crude behavior, the others called him a barbarian.
Hunne
Nach seinem rücksichtslosen Zerstören beschimpften ihn die anderen als Hunnen.
Because of his ruthless destruction, the others called him a barbarian.
In real life
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