der Bastard
bastard
A crude insult for a person who is considered deceitful, mean, or despicable.
EXAMPLE
Er schrie: „Du elender Bastard, was fällt dir ein?“
He shouted, “You miserable bastard, what do you think you're doing?”
der Bastard
bastard
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
der Bastard
hybrid
In biology, a living organism (animal or plant) that has resulted from the crossbreeding of two different species or breeds; a hybrid.
EXAMPLE
Ein Maultier ist ein Bastard aus einer Pferdestute und einem Eselhengst.
A mule is a hybrid of a mare and a male donkey.
der Bastard
bastard
An outdated and now derogatory term for a child whose parents were not married to each other at the time of the child's birth.
EXAMPLE
In vielen Königshäusern hatten anerkannte Bastarde des Königs dennoch gewisse Privilegien.
In many royal houses, recognized bastards of the king nevertheless had certain privileges.
Usage tips
Meaning in context
The meaning of 'Bastard' (bastard) depends heavily on context. In everyday language, it is almost always a crude insult. In biology, it is a neutral technical term for a crossbreed; in historical studies, it is an outdated term for an illegitimate child.
EXAMPLE
Er wurde wütend und schrie: „Was willst du, du Bastard?“
He got angry and shouted, “What do you want, you bastard?”
Strong insult
As an insult, 'Bastard' (bastard) is very vulgar and offensive in German. Its use can be understood as a serious personal attack and lead to serious conflicts.
EXAMPLE
Er hat mich einen Bastard genannt; das lasse ich mir nicht gefallen.
He called me a bastard; I'm not going to put up with that.
Typical collocations
As an insult, the word is often intensified with negative adjectives such as 'elend' (miserable), 'gemein' (mean), or 'verdammt' (damned) to strengthen its effect.
EXAMPLE
Was für ein elender Bastard, mein Fahrrad zu stehlen!
What a miserable bastard, stealing my bike!
Biology term
In biology, 'Bastard' (hybrid) is a neutral technical term for a living organism that has resulted from the crossbreeding of two different species or breeds. In this context, the word has no negative meaning.
EXAMPLE
Der Liger, ein Bastard aus einem Löwen und einer Tigerin, kommt in der freien Wildbahn nicht vor.
The liger, a hybrid of a lion and a tigress, does not occur in the wild.
Historical context
The term for an illegitimate child is outdated and is considered discriminatory today. It is now found almost only in historical texts, for example about the nobility in the Middle Ages.
EXAMPLE
Wilhelm der Eroberer war als „Wilhelm der Bastard“ bekannt, bevor er König von England wurde.
William the Conqueror was known as “William the Bastard” before he became King of England.
Compare with
Bastard vs hybrid
hybrid
Bastard and hybrid can be related when referring to a living organism resulting from the crossbreeding of different species or breeds. Bastard is a noun and refers to the organism, while hybrid is an adjective describing its origin. Use Bastard for the organism itself and hybrid for a more detailed description.
Bastard
Dieser Bastard entstand aus der Kreuzung zweier verschiedener Pflanzenarten.
This hybrid resulted from the crossbreeding of two different plant species.
hybrid
Diese Pflanze ist hybrid und entstand aus der Kreuzung zweier verschiedener Arten.
This plant is a hybrid and resulted from the crossbreeding of two different species.
In real life
Loading video examples...