der Dreckskerl
scumbag
A crude, insulting term for a despised or particularly mean man.
EXAMPLE
Dieser Dreckskerl hat mich absichtlich belogen.
That scumbag deliberately lied to me.
der Dreckskerl
scumbag
der Dreckskerl, die Dreckskerle
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Meanings
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Dreckskerl, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | masculine der |
|---|---|
| plural | die Dreckskerle |
| genitive | des Dreckskerls |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | der Dreckskerl | die Dreckskerle |
| accusative | den Dreckskerl | die Dreckskerle |
| dative | dem Dreckskerl | den Dreckskerlen |
| genitive | des Dreckskerls | der Dreckskerle |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Word formation
'Dreckskerl' is made up of 'Drecks-' and 'Kerl' (guy). 'Drecks-' intensifies the negative judgment and is not understood literally in compounds like this.
EXAMPLE
Er hat sich bei der Verhandlung wie ein Dreckskerl benommen.
He behaved like a scumbag during the negotiations.
Strong insult
'Dreckskerl' is a strongly derogatory, colloquial insult. It is mainly used in emotional situations and can be very hurtful.
EXAMPLE
Nach diesem Betrug wollte sie mit dem Dreckskerl nie wieder sprechen.
After that betrayal, she never wanted to speak to the scumbag again.
Typical combinations
The word often appears with expressions such as 'dieser' (this), 'so ein' (such a), or 'ein richtiger' (a real). This makes the derogatory judgment especially clear in the sentence.
EXAMPLE
So ein Dreckskerl! Er hat die hilflose Frau einfach im Stich gelassen.
What a scumbag! He simply abandoned the helpless woman.
In real life
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