husband / consort
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husband / consort
A formal term for a husband, often perceived as elevated or outdated. The word is frequently used in official or courtly contexts.
Die Königin erschien in Begleitung ihres Gemahls zur Zeremonie.
The queen appeared at the ceremony accompanied by her consort.
'Der Gemahl' (husband/consort) is a word of elevated written language. It is not used in normal everyday speech and can sound outdated or ironic.
In der offiziellen Einladung stand: „Die Ministerin und ihr Gemahl werden erwartet.“
The official invitation read: 'The minister and her husband are expected.'
The word belongs to a formal word family related to marriage. The feminine counterpart is 'die Gemahlin' (wife), and the related verb is 'sich vermählen' (to marry).
Das Paar wurde feierlich vermählt.
The couple was solemnly married.
You often find the word in reports about royal families, high-ranking politicians, or in historical texts. A typical compound is, for example, 'der Prinzgemahl' (the prince consort).
Der Gemahl der dänischen Königin trug den Titel Prinzgemahl.
The husband of the Danish queen held the title of prince consort.
man
'der Mann' and 'der Gemahl' can both mean a person's husband. 'der Mann' is the normal everyday word for this and sounds natural in conversation. 'der Gemahl' is very formal, elevated, or old-fashioned. You are more likely to hear it in official texts, on very ceremonial occasions, or in courtly contexts. Learners may confuse the words because both can express a marriage relationship. In practice: in everyday life, people almost always say 'mein Mann' (my husband), not 'mein Gemahl'.
Die Königin erschien zusammen mit ihrem Gemahl zur Feier.
The queen appeared at the celebration together with her consort.
Frau Schmidt wartet vor der Schule auf ihren Mann.
Mrs. Schmidt is waiting for her husband in front of the school.