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
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
der Boy
boy
A member of a boy group, a music group consisting of several young male singers.
EXAMPLE
Er war in den 90ern der Leadsänger und beliebteste Boy der Band.
In the 90s, he was the lead singer and the most popular boy in the band.
der Boy
boy / attendant
An outdated term for a young male employee in a hotel or on a ship who is responsible for errands and simple services, e.g. a hotel boy or elevator boy.
EXAMPLE
Der Boy brachte die Koffer auf das Zimmer.
The boy brought the suitcases up to the room.
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Outdated meaning
The term 'Boy' (boy/attendant) for a hotel or ship employee is outdated today and is hardly used anymore.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In its outdated meaning as an employee, 'Boy' (boy/attendant) is often part of compound words such as 'Hotelboy' (hotel boy), 'Liftboy' (elevator boy), or 'Pageboy' (page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 Junge
boy
Der Junge is the usual term for a male child or adolescent boy. Der Boy can refer to the same person, but it is a colloquial expression borrowed from English. In a neutral statement, der Junge is therefore usually the better choice.
Boy
Der Boy aus dem neuen Musikvideo spielt jeden Nachmittag Fußball.
The boy from the new music video plays soccer every afternoon.
Junge
Der Junge aus unserer Straße spielt jeden Nachmittag Fußball.
The boy from our street plays soccer every afternoon.
In real life
Loading video examples...