deutsch
German
Relates to Germany, its inhabitants, its culture, or its language.
EXAMPLE
Mein Lieblingsessen ist eine deutsche Spezialität.
My favorite food is a German specialty.
deutsch
German
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Meanings
auf gut Deutsch
in plain language
An idiom meaning that you say something directly, openly, and without beating around the bush.
EXAMPLE
Auf gut Deutsch gesagt: Deine Idee ist Unsinn.
To put it in plain language: your idea is nonsense.
Usage tips
Word family
The adjective 'deutsch' (German) is the basis for other important words. These include the country 'Deutschland' (Germany) and the term for a person, 'der/die Deutsche' (the German person).
EXAMPLE
Viele Touristen besuchen Deutschland wegen der deutschen Kultur.
Many tourists visit Germany because of German culture.
Capitalization
As an adjective before a noun or as an adverb, 'deutsch' (German) is written with a lowercase letter. When it refers to the language as a noun, it is capitalized: 'das Deutsch' (German).
EXAMPLE
Er lernt seit einem Jahr Deutsch.
He has been learning German for a year.
Fixed expression
The expression 'auf gut Deutsch' (in plain language) is a fixed idiom. It is used to announce that you are now going to say something very directly, honestly, and perhaps even rudely.
EXAMPLE
Auf gut Deutsch gesagt, die ganze Arbeit war umsonst.
To put it in plain language, all the work was for nothing.
Compare with
deutsch vs Deutsch
German
Deutsch is used as a noun for the language itself and is capitalized. The adjective deutsch, by contrast, describes a noun it refers to, such as a text or a phrase. When naming the language, Deutsch is appropriate; when describing something as belonging to the German language, use deutsch.
deutsch
Der Artikel enthält viele deutsche Fachwörter.
The article contains many German technical terms.
Deutsch
Das Deutsch in diesem Artikel ist leicht verständlich.
The German in this article is easy to understand.
In real life
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