01
doll
great
Colloquial for great, awesome, or fantastic.
example
Das war eine dolle Überraschung, vielen Dank!
That was a great surprise, thank you very much!
doll
great / intense
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Meanings
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Usage tips
False friend
'Doll' does not mean the English word 'doll' (toy doll). It is a colloquial word for 'toll' (great), 'stark' (strong/intense), or 'verrückt' (crazy). The German translation for the toy figure is 'die Puppe' (the doll).
EXAMPLE
Das war ein dolles Fest gestern Abend!
That was a great party last night!
Colloquial style
The word 'doll' is used almost exclusively in spoken, informal language. In written or formal contexts, it sounds inappropriate.
EXAMPLE
Meine Oma findet meine neue Frisur ganz doll.
My grandma thinks my new hairstyle is really great.
Use as an adverb
'Doll' can be used like 'sehr' (very) or 'stark' (strongly) to intensify a verb. In that case, it stays unchanged and is not declined with the verb.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe mich doll erschrocken, als du gerufen hast.
I got really scared when you shouted.
Compare with
doll vs sehr
very
'sehr' and 'doll' can both be used as intensifiers. 'sehr' is neutral and understood everywhere, including in formal situations. 'doll' is colloquial and sounds casual; in this use it means something like 'very' or 'really'. You are more likely to hear it in spoken language than in official texts. In addition, 'doll' can also mean 'great' or 'wild', depending on the sentence. If you want to speak safely and neutrally, use 'sehr'; for casual everyday language, 'doll' can fit.
doll
Wegen des langen Arbeitstags bin ich heute doll müde.
Because of the long workday, I'm really tired today.
sehr
Die neuen Schuhe gefallen mir sehr.
I like the new shoes very much.
In real life
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