die Falte
wrinkle
A line or indentation in the skin caused by aging, facial movements, or the skin being compressed.
EXAMPLE
Wenn sie lacht, erscheinen kleine Falten um ihre Augen.
When she laughs, small wrinkles appear around her eyes.
die Falte
wrinkle / fold
die Falte, die Falten
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Meanings
die Falte
fold
A place in fabric, paper, or a similar material where it has been turned over, creased, or gathered. A fold can be made intentionally or form unintentionally.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem Bügeln hatte das Hemd keine Falten mehr.
After ironing, the shirt no longer had any creases.
die Stirn in Falten legen
to furrow one's brow
To move the forehead so that wrinkles form, usually expressing thoughtfulness, worry, or dissatisfaction.
EXAMPLE
Als er die unerwartet hohe Rechnung sah, legte er die Stirn in Falten.
When he saw the unexpectedly high bill, he furrowed his brow.
die Falte
fold
In geology, a bend in originally flat-lying layers of rock, usually caused by lateral pressure in the Earth's crust.
EXAMPLE
An der Felswand ist eine große Falte in den Gesteinsschichten zu erkennen.
A large fold in the rock layers can be seen on the cliff face.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Falte, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | feminine die |
|---|---|
| plural | die Falten |
| genitive | der Falte |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | die Falte | die Falten |
| accusative | die Falte | die Falten |
| dative | der Falte | den Falten |
| genitive | der Falte | der Falten |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Typical collocations
For skin, the collocations 'feine Falten' (fine wrinkles), 'tiefe Falten' (deep wrinkles), and 'Falten bekommen' (to develop wrinkles) are common. Use 'um die Augen' (around the eyes) or 'auf der Stirn' (on the forehead) to describe the location more precisely.
EXAMPLE
Er hat im Laufe der Jahre tiefe Falten auf der Stirn bekommen.
Over the years, he developed deep wrinkles on his forehead.
Falten werfen
'Falten werfen' (to form folds) is a typical collocation for fabric. The fabric or item of clothing is the subject, so there is no need to mention a person performing the action.
EXAMPLE
Die Hose wirft an den Knien Falten.
The trousers form folds at the knees.
Intentionally formed fabric
For intentionally formed folds in fabric, the pattern 'etwas in Falten legen' (to fold something into pleats) is often used. The piece of fabric is the accusative object.
EXAMPLE
Die Schneiderin legt den Stoff für den Rock in gleichmäßige Falten.
The dressmaker folds the fabric for the skirt into even pleats.
Fixed expression
Learn 'die Stirn in Falten legen' (to furrow one's brow) as a complete expression. The person is the subject and 'die Stirn' (the forehead) is the accusative object; when referring to one's own forehead, the definite article is usually used.
EXAMPLE
Die Ärztin legte die Stirn in Falten, als sie die Ergebnisse las.
The doctor furrowed her brow as she read the results.
Geological context
Words such as 'Gesteinsschichten' (rock layers), 'Erdkruste' (Earth's crust), and 'Gebirgsbildung' (mountain building) point to the geological meaning. This usage belongs to technical language and also appears in informational texts about landscapes.
EXAMPLE
Bei der Gebirgsbildung wurden die Gesteinsschichten zu großen Falten zusammengeschoben.
During mountain building, the rock layers were compressed into large folds.
In real life
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