iceberg
der Eisberg, die Eisberge
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iceberg
A very large mass of ice floating in the sea that has broken off from a glacier or an ice shelf.
Das Schiff musste seine Route ändern, um dem riesigen Eisberg auszuweichen.
The ship had to change its route to avoid the huge iceberg.
iceberg
In a figurative sense, the small visible part of a much larger hidden problem or situation. Often used in the expression 'die Spitze des Eisbergs' (the tip of the iceberg).
Die offiziell gemeldeten Fälle sind nur die Spitze des Eisbergs.
The officially reported cases are only the tip of the iceberg.
| gender | masculine der |
|---|---|
| plural | die Eisberge |
| genitive | des Eisbergs |
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | der Eisberg | die Eisberge |
| accusative | den Eisberg | die Eisberge |
| dative | dem Eisberg | den Eisbergen |
| genitive | des Eisbergs des Eisberges | der Eisberge |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
The word 'Eisberg' (iceberg) is a simple compound made up of 'das Eis' (ice) and 'der Berg' (mountain). So it literally describes a mountain of ice floating in the sea.
In der Arktis kann man beeindruckende Eisberge sehen.
In the Arctic, you can see impressive icebergs.
The figurative meaning is used almost exclusively in the fixed expression 'die Spitze des Eisbergs' (the tip of the iceberg). This idiom describes the small, visible part of a much larger, invisible problem.
Die wenigen bekannten Fälle sind nur die Spitze des Eisbergs.
The few known cases are only the tip of the iceberg.
When the word is used without the expression 'die Spitze des...' (the tip of...), the literal meaning is almost always intended. The context then usually revolves around the sea, ships, or polar regions.
Die Titanic kollidierte mit einem Eisberg und sank.
The Titanic collided with an iceberg and sank.
