die Braue
eyebrow
The narrow strip of hair above the eye; the eyebrow.
EXAMPLE
Sie hat dunkle, dicht gewachsene Brauen.
She has dark, thick eyebrows.
die Braue
eyebrow
die Braue, die Brauen
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Meanings
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Braue, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | feminine die |
|---|---|
| plural | die Brauen |
| genitive | der Braue |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | die Braue | die Brauen |
| accusative | die Braue | die Brauen |
| dative | der Braue | den Brauen |
| genitive | der Braue | der Brauen |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Style and register
'Braue' (eyebrow) often sounds elevated or literary. You are especially likely to encounter the word in descriptions of faces and facial expressions.
EXAMPLE
Unter seinen buschigen Brauen blickten zwei wache Augen hervor.
Two alert eyes peered out from beneath his bushy brows.
Describing facial expressions
Typical expressions are 'die Brauen hochziehen' (to raise one's eyebrows) and 'die Brauen zusammenziehen' (to furrow one's brows). Raised eyebrows can show surprise or doubt, while furrowed brows can indicate annoyance or deep concentration, for example.
EXAMPLE
Als sie den hohen Preis hörte, zog sie überrascht die Brauen hoch.
When she heard the high price, she raised her eyebrows in surprise.
Er zog die Brauen zusammen und dachte über die schwierige Frage nach.
He furrowed his brows and thought about the difficult question.
Describing personal grooming
In the context of personal grooming, 'sich die Brauen zupfen' (to pluck one's eyebrows) is a typical expression. The person is represented by the reflexive pronoun in the dative, while 'die Brauen' is in the accusative.
EXAMPLE
Vor dem Spiegel zupfte sie sich vorsichtig die Brauen.
She carefully plucked her eyebrows in front of the mirror.
In real life
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