01
der Dreißiger
thirty-something
A person whose age is between 30 and 39.
example
Als Dreißiger steht man oft mitten im Berufs- und Familienleben.
As a thirty-something, you are often right in the middle of your career and family life.
der Dreißiger
thirty-something / thirties
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word structure
The word is derived from the number 'dreißig' (thirty). The ending '-er' turns the number into a noun that describes a person or a time period.
EXAMPLE
Dieses Muster findet man auch bei anderen Jahrzehnten, zum Beispiel „die Zwanziger“ oder „die Vierziger“.
You can also find this pattern with other decades, for example 'die Zwanziger' (the twenties) or 'die Vierziger' (the forties).
Context clue
To distinguish the meanings, pay attention to the article and the number form. 'Ein Dreißiger' (a thirty-something man) is a man aged 30-39, while 'die Dreißiger' (the thirties, plural) usually refers to the decade.
EXAMPLE
Mein neuer Kollege ist ein Dreißiger.
My new colleague is a thirty-something.
Use for people
When talking about a person, you can describe the age more precisely with 'Anfang' (early), 'Mitte' (mid), or 'Ende' (late). These words then come before the number word.
EXAMPLE
Sie ist Ende Dreißig und sehr erfolgreich in ihrem Beruf.
She is in her late thirties and very successful in her career.
Use for the decade
To talk about the decade, the plural form is almost always used with the preposition 'in'. This construction requires the dative case.
EXAMPLE
In den Dreißigern gab es große wirtschaftliche Probleme.
In the thirties, there were major economic problems.
In real life
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