fahl
pale
Pale and of a dull, yellowish-gray or grayish color; lacking fresh or vivid tones.
EXAMPLE
Nach der langen Krankheit wirkte ihr Gesicht fahl.
After her long illness, her face looked pale.
fahl
pale
fahl – fahler – am fahlsten
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Meanings
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry fahl, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
Comparison
| basic form | fahl |
|---|---|
| comparative | fahler |
| superlative | am fahlsten |
After der, die, das
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -e | -e | -e | -en |
| acc. | -en | -e | -e | -en |
| dat. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
| gen. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
Add the ending to fahl.
After ein, eine
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -er | -e | -es | -en |
| acc. | -en | -e | -es | -en |
| dat. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
| gen. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
Add the ending to fahl.
Without article
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -er | -e | -es | -e |
| acc. | -en | -e | -es | -e |
| dat. | -em | -er | -em | -en |
| gen. | -en | -er | -en | -er |
Add the ending to fahl.
Usage tips
Typical sentence patterns
'Fahl' (pale) is often used predicatively with verbs such as 'wirken' (to seem), 'aussehen' (to look), or 'werden' (to become). The adjective describes the impression given by a person or a setting.
EXAMPLE
Unter dem grauen Himmel wirkte die Landschaft fahl und trostlos.
Under the gray sky, the landscape looked pale and bleak.
Typical collocations
Common collocations include 'fahles Gesicht' (pale face), 'fahle Haut' (pale skin), 'fahles Licht' (pale light), and 'fahle Farbe' (pale color). When referring to people, 'fahl' (pale) most often describes the face or skin.
EXAMPLE
Das fahle Licht fiel durch die schmutzigen Fenster.
The pale light came through the dirty windows.
Descriptive style
'Fahl' (pale) is especially common in descriptive texts, for example when depicting faces, landscapes, or lighting. The word often creates a dull, serious, or eerie atmosphere.
EXAMPLE
Im fahlen Morgenlicht wirkte der leere Bahnhof verlassen.
In the pale morning light, the empty station looked deserted.
In real life
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