fromm
pious
Strongly religious and devout; following the rules and practices of a religion.
EXAMPLE
Sie war eine fromme Frau, die jeden Tag betete.
She was a pious woman who prayed every day.
fromm
pious / tame
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Meanings
fromm
wishful
In the expression 'ein frommer Wunsch' (a pious wish): a hope or wish that is considered unrealistic or impossible to fulfill.
EXAMPLE
Weltfrieden ist leider oft nur ein frommer Wunsch.
World peace is unfortunately often just wishful thinking.
fromm
tame
Describes an animal that is tame, gentle, and good-natured.
EXAMPLE
Keine Sorge, das Lamm ist ganz fromm und tut niemandem etwas.
Don't worry, the lamb is completely tame and won't hurt anyone.
Usage tips
Context clue
You can recognize the meaning of 'fromm' (pious/tame) from context: If it refers to a person, it means 'religiös' (religious). In the fixed expression 'ein frommer Wunsch' (a pious wish), it means 'unrealistisch' (unrealistic). If it describes an animal, it means 'zahm' (tame).
EXAMPLE
Mein Großvater war ein sehr frommer Mann.
My grandfather was a very pious man.
Typical collocations
In the religious meaning, 'fromm' (pious) is often combined with certain nouns and verbs. Typical collocations are 'ein frommes Leben führen' (to lead a pious life), 'ein frommer Christ sein' (to be a pious Christian), or 'ein frommes Gebet sprechen' (to say a pious prayer).
EXAMPLE
Sie versucht, ein frommes Leben nach den Regeln ihrer Religion zu führen.
She tries to lead a pious life according to the rules of her religion.
Fixed expression
The meaning 'unrealistisch' (unrealistic) occurs almost exclusively in the fixed expression 'ein frommer Wunsch' (a pious wish). The form usually remains unchanged.
EXAMPLE
Seine Hoffnung, die Prüfung ohne Lernen zu bestehen, war nur ein frommer Wunsch.
His hope of passing the exam without studying was just wishful thinking.
Register note
The use of 'fromm' (tame) for 'zahm' (tame) with animals is somewhat old-fashioned and is used less often today. You often find it in the expression 'fromm wie ein Lamm' (as gentle as a lamb).
EXAMPLE
Das Lamm folgte dem Kind, so fromm war es.
The lamb followed the child, it was so tame.
Compare with
fromm vs christlich
Christian
Christlich can describe a life or actions that reflect Christian values such as charity and forgiveness. Fromm places more emphasis on personal religious devotion and following religious practices. Good actions can therefore be called christlich without the person being particularly fromm.
fromm
Anna lebt fromm, betet täglich und hält die religiösen Regeln ein.
Anna lives a pious life, prays every day, and follows the religious rules.
christlich
Anna lebt nach christlichen Werten und hilft regelmäßig Menschen in Not.
Anna lives by Christian values and regularly helps people in need.
In real life
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