der Erzfeind
archenemy
The worst or most important enemy of a person, group, or nation; a main opponent.
EXAMPLE
In der Geschichte waren Rom und Karthago erbitterte Erzfeinde.
In history, Rome and Carthage were bitter archenemies.
der Erzfeind
archenemy
der Erzfeind, die Erzfeinde
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Meanings
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Erzfeind, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | masculine der |
|---|---|
| plural | die Erzfeinde |
| genitive | des Erzfeindes |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | der Erzfeind | die Erzfeinde |
| accusative | den Erzfeind | die Erzfeinde |
| dative | dem Erzfeind | den Erzfeinden |
| genitive | des Erzfeindes des Erzfeinds | der Erzfeinde |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Word structure
The word consists of the prefix 'Erz-' and the noun 'Feind' (enemy). The prefix 'Erz-' intensifies the base word and means something like 'chief' or 'most important'. You can also find it in words like 'Erzengel' (archangel) or 'Erzbischof' (archbishop).
EXAMPLE
Für den Detektiv war der Professor sein intellektueller Erzfeind.
For the detective, the professor was his intellectual archenemy.
Usage pattern
'Erzfeind' (archenemy) is often used with a possessive pronoun ('sein Erzfeind' — his archenemy) or with the preposition 'von' (of) to clarify the relationship.
EXAMPLE
Der Superheld kämpft gegen seinen Erzfeind.
The superhero fights against his archenemy.
Context clue
The word is often used in fictional contexts such as books, films, and comics. But it can also be used figuratively for major rivals in politics or sports.
EXAMPLE
In vielen Geschichten hat der Held einen schlauen Erzfeind.
In many stories, the hero has a clever archenemy.
In real life
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