01
der Boy
boy
A colloquial expression borrowed from English for a boy or young man.
example
Die Boys aus der Nachbarschaft spielen den ganzen Tag Fußball.
The boys from the neighborhood play soccer all day.
der Boy
boy
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Colloquial usage
The word 'Boy' (boy) is used as a colloquial Anglicism mainly by and for young people. It is often used in the plural 'Boys' to refer to a clique or group of friends.
EXAMPLE
Hey, was machen die Boys heute Abend?
Hey, what are the boys doing tonight?
Context: music
This meaning is specific to the music industry. A 'Boy' (boy) here is a member of a 'Boygroup' or 'Boyband' (boy band).
EXAMPLE
Welcher Boy von der Band war dein Favorit?
Which boy from the band was your favorite?
Outdated meaning
The term 'Boy' (boy/attendant) for a hotel or ship employee is outdated today and is hardly used anymore. You mainly find it in old films or books.
EXAMPLE
In dem Schwarz-Weiß-Film rief der Gast nach dem Boy.
In the black-and-white film, the guest called for the boy.
Compounds
In its outdated meaning as an employee, 'Boy' (boy/attendant) is often part of compound words such as 'Hotelboy' (hotel boy), 'Liftboy' (elevator boy), or 'Pageboy' (page boy).
EXAMPLE
Der Liftboy trug einen schicken Anzug.
The elevator boy wore a smart suit.
Compare with
Boy vs Mädchen
girl
'das Mädchen' and 'der Boy' can both refer to young people, but they differ in gender and style. 'das Mädchen' is the normal German word for a female child or adolescent. 'der Boy' means a boy or young man, but it sounds colloquial and comes from English. In everyday German, people usually say 'der Junge'; 'Boy' is more likely to be heard in casual language, pop culture, or advertising.
Boy
Der Boy aus der neuen Band ist bei vielen Jugendlichen sehr beliebt.
The boy from the new band is very popular with many teenagers.
Mädchen
Im Zug hilft die Lehrerin dem Mädchen mit dem schweren Rucksack.
On the train, the teacher helps the girl with the heavy backpack.
In real life
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