glatt
smooth / slippery
Describes a surface that is even, not rough, and often slippery.
EXAMPLE
Sei vorsichtig, die Straße ist nach dem Eisregen spiegelglatt.
Be careful, the road is like glass after the freezing rain.
glatt
smooth / slippery
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Meanings
glatt
smoothly
In a figurative sense: proceeding without problems, difficulties, or interruptions.
EXAMPLE
Die Operation verlief glatt und der Patient erholt sich gut.
The operation went smoothly, and the patient is recovering well.
glatt
straight
Describes hair that has no curls or waves.
EXAMPLE
Sie hat von Natur aus lange, glatte Haare.
She has naturally long, straight hair.
glatt
downright
Used colloquially to intensify a statement, often in the sense of 'clearly' or 'simply'.
EXAMPLE
Dass er das nicht wusste, war eine glatte Lüge.
The fact that he didn’t know that was a downright lie.
glatt
flat
Refers to an amount of money that represents a round sum with no remaining amounts.
EXAMPLE
Das Fahrrad kostet glatt 500 Euro.
The bike costs a flat 500 euros.
Usage tips
False friend
'Glatt' sounds like the English word 'glad', but it has a completely different meaning. 'Glatt' means 'smooth' or 'slippery', while 'glad' in German is 'froh'.
EXAMPLE
Ich bin froh, dich zu sehen.
I’m glad to see you.
Word family
The word family of 'glatt' (smooth/slippery) includes the verb 'glätten' (to smooth something out) and the noun 'die Glätte' (smoothness/slipperiness, often in connection with ice on the road).
EXAMPLE
Sie muss ihr Hemd für die Arbeit noch glätten.
She still has to iron her shirt for work.
Context clue: surfaces
In its literal meaning, 'glatt' (smooth/slippery) always describes a physical surface. Typical combinations are 'glatte Haut' (smooth skin), 'glattes Holz' (smooth wood), or 'glattes Papier' (smooth paper).
EXAMPLE
Der Tisch hat eine sehr glatte Oberfläche.
The table has a very smooth surface.
Typical collocations
In the figurative meaning 'without problems', 'glatt' (smoothly) is often combined with verbs that describe a process. Fixed expressions are 'glatt laufen' (to run smoothly), 'glatt gehen' (to go smoothly), or 'glatt verlaufen' (to proceed smoothly).
EXAMPLE
Ich hoffe, bei der Prüfung läuft alles glatt.
I hope everything goes smoothly in the exam.
Intensifying adverb
Colloquially, 'glatt' (downright) is used as an adverb to intensify a statement, often with something surprising or negative. It then means something like 'simply', 'actually', or 'completely'.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe unseren Jahrestag glatt vergessen!
I completely forgot our anniversary!
With round amounts
When 'glatt' (flat) comes directly before an amount of money or a number, it means that it is an exact, round amount with no decimal places.
EXAMPLE
Das Auto hat glatt 10.000 Euro gekostet.
The car cost a flat 10,000 euros.
Compare with
glatt vs gerade
right now / straight
Gerade generally describes a shape or direction without any curve. When talking about hair, glatt, on the other hand, refers to the usual hair texture without curls or waves. Gerade can describe the direction in which hair falls, but glatt is more suitable for describing the hair type.
glatt
Von Natur aus hat sie glatte Haare ohne Locken.
Her hair is naturally straight, without curls.
gerade
Nach dem Kämmen fallen ihre Haare gerade nach unten.
After she combs it, her hair falls straight down.
In real life
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