das Darling
darling
A term of endearment borrowed from English for a beloved person; a sweetheart or dear.
EXAMPLE
Keine Sorge, mein Darling, wir schaffen das zusammen.
Don't worry, my darling, we'll manage this together.
das Darling
darling
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Meanings
das Darling
favorite / darling
A person who is especially popular and favored by a certain group or by the public; a crowd favorite.
EXAMPLE
Mit seinem Charme wurde der junge Schauspieler schnell zum Darling der Kritiker.
With his charm, the young actor quickly became the critics' darling.
Usage tips
Origin and gender
'Darling' is a loanword from English. Although it refers to a person, the word is neuter in German: 'das Darling'. This is a grammatical peculiarity.
EXAMPLE
Sie nannte ihn liebevoll „mein Darling“.
She lovingly called him 'my darling'.
Context clue
You can recognize the meaning from the context. If it is used as a direct form of address for a beloved person, it is a term of endearment. If people are talking about a person's popularity in public, it means a 'Publikumsliebling' (crowd favorite).
EXAMPLE
Komm her, mein Darling, und gib mir einen Kuss.
Come here, my darling, and give me a kiss.
Typical collocations
In the meaning of 'Liebling' (favorite), the word is often combined with a genitive or a 'von' construction to show whose favorite the person is. Typical phrases are 'Darling der Presse' (darling of the press), 'Darling des Publikums' (darling of the audience), or 'Darling der Kritiker' (critics' darling).
EXAMPLE
Die junge Regisseurin gilt als das neue Darling des deutschen Films.
The young director is considered the new darling of German film.
Compare with
Darling vs Schatz
darling / treasure
Schatz and Darling can both refer to a loved one. In German, Schatz is a common and unmarked term of endearment, whereas Darling often sounds deliberately stylized because of its English origin. Schatz is usually suitable for an ordinary affectionate form of address, while Darling suits an anglicized tone.
Darling
Beim Frühstück sagt Lea mit gespieltem englischem Akzent: „Guten Morgen, Darling.“
At breakfast, Lea says in a fake English accent, “Good morning, Darling.”
Schatz
Beim Frühstück sagt Lea ganz selbstverständlich: „Guten Morgen, Schatz.“
At breakfast, Lea says quite naturally, “Good morning, darling.”
In real life
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