blau
blue
The color that corresponds to the sky on a clear day or the deep sea.
EXAMPLE
Der Himmel ist heute strahlend blau.
The sky is bright blue today.
blau
blue
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Meanings
blau
drunk
Colloquial for drunk; under the influence of alcohol.
EXAMPLE
Nach der Feier war er komplett blau und konnte kaum noch geradeaus gehen.
After the party, he was completely drunk and could barely walk straight anymore.
blau machen
to skip work/school
Colloquial for an unexcused absence from school or work.
EXAMPLE
Er hat heute blau gemacht, um ins Schwimmbad zu gehen.
He skipped work today to go to the swimming pool.
mit einem blauen Auge davonkommen
to get off lightly
To come out of a dangerous or difficult situation with only minor damage or slight injuries.
EXAMPLE
Das Auto hat einen Totalschaden, aber der Fahrer ist zum Glück mit einem blauen Auge davongekommen.
The car was totaled, but fortunately the driver got off lightly.
ins Blaue
into the blue
Without a specific destination or concrete plan.
EXAMPLE
Wir sind am Wochenende einfach ins Blaue gefahren und haben eine schöne kleine Stadt entdeckt.
At the weekend, we simply drove off into the blue and discovered a beautiful little town.
Usage tips
False friend
In English, 'blue' can also mean 'sad'. In German, 'blau' (blue) does not have this meaning. It refers either to the color or, colloquially, to someone being drunk.
EXAMPLE
Er war nach der Party ziemlich blau und fand den Weg nach Hause nicht mehr.
He was pretty drunk after the party and couldn't find his way home anymore.
Colloquial meaning
The meaning 'betrunken' (drunk) for 'blau' (blue) is used only in colloquial language. In formal situations or written language, this expression is uncommon.
EXAMPLE
Sei vorsichtig, nach drei Bier ist er oft schon blau.
Be careful, after three beers he is often already drunk.
Fixed expression: blau machen
The expression 'blau machen' (to skip work/school) means not to go to work or school. The verb 'machen' (to do / to make) is conjugated, while 'blau' (blue) remains unchanged at the end of the clause.
EXAMPLE
Weil das Wetter so schön war, hat sie spontan blau gemacht.
Because the weather was so nice, she spontaneously skipped work.
Fixed expression: davonkommen
In the idiom 'mit einem blauen Auge davonkommen' (to get off lightly), 'davonkommen' (to get away / to come out of it) is the conjugated separable verb. The person who has a lucky escape is the subject of the sentence.
EXAMPLE
Mein Fahrrad ist kaputt, aber ich bin mit einem blauen Auge davongekommen.
My bike is broken, but I got off lightly.
Fixed expression: ins Blaue
The expression 'ins Blaue' (into the blue) is often used with verbs of movement or planning, e.g. 'fahren' (to drive / travel), 'reden' (to talk), or 'planen' (to plan). It means that you do something without a fixed destination or concrete plan.
EXAMPLE
Wir haben keine genauen Urlaubspläne, wir fahren einfach ins Blaue.
We don't have any exact vacation plans; we're simply driving off into the blue.
Compare with
blau vs betrunken
drunk
Blau and betrunken can both say that someone is under the influence of alcohol. Blau is colloquial and mainly suited to informal conversations, while betrunken is more neutral. For a factual statement, betrunken is appropriate; among friends, blau can also work.
blau
Nach der Feier war Tom ziemlich blau.
Tom was pretty drunk after the party.
betrunken
Im Bericht stand, dass Tom nach der Feier betrunken war.
The report said that Tom was drunk after the party.
In real life
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