die Frechheit
impudence
A quality or behavior that is perceived as insolent, disrespectful, or brazen.
EXAMPLE
Seine Frechheit, einfach vorzudrängeln, hat alle geärgert.
His impudence in simply pushing to the front annoyed everyone.
die Frechheit
impudence / cheek
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Meanings
die Frechheit
outrage
A single action or statement that is considered insolent or brazen.
EXAMPLE
Was du da sagst, ist eine absolute Frechheit!
What you're saying there is an absolute outrage!
Usage tips
Word family
'Die Frechheit' (impudence/cheek) is the noun formed from the adjective 'frech' (cheeky/impudent). The ending '-heit' is often used to form a noun from an adjective that describes the corresponding quality.
EXAMPLE
Sein freches Grinsen war schon eine kleine Frechheit.
His cheeky grin was already a bit of an impudence.
Countable vs. uncountable
The word can refer to a general quality (uncountable) or to a single insolent action (countable). When a single act is meant, it is often used with the indefinite article 'eine' or in the plural.
EXAMPLE
Seine Frechheit kannte keine Grenzen.
His impudence knew no bounds.
Fixed expression
A very common and strong phrase is 'die Frechheit besitzen, etwas zu tun' (to have the nerve to do something). It expresses great indignation at a person's brazenness.
EXAMPLE
Er besaß die Frechheit, mich nach allem um einen Gefallen zu bitten.
He had the nerve to ask me for a favor after everything.
Compare with
Frechheit vs Unverschämtheit
impudence / outrage
Both words can refer to a disrespectful remark or action. Frechheit is usually more colloquial and can sound somewhat less severe, whereas Unverschämtheit emphasizes the perceived imposition and violation of respect more strongly. Use Frechheit for the milder judgment and Unverschämtheit for particularly brazen behavior.
Frechheit
Dass du meinen Stift einfach nimmst, ist eine Frechheit.
It's outrageous that you just take my pen.
Unverschämtheit
Dass du mich vor allen beleidigst, ist eine Unverschämtheit.
It's outrageous that you insult me in front of everyone.
In real life
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