die Glatze
bald head
A head on which no hair grows anymore or that has been shaved bald.
EXAMPLE
Er trägt seine Glatze mit viel Selbstbewusstsein.
He wears his bald head with a lot of confidence.
die Glatze
bald head / bald spot
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Meanings
die Glatze
bald spot
Colloquially also used for a bald spot on the head where the hair has fallen out.
EXAMPLE
Er versucht, seine beginnende Glatze mit den restlichen Haaren zu verdecken.
He tries to cover his emerging bald spot with the remaining hair.
Usage tips
Word family
The word 'Glatze' (bald head) is related to the adjective 'glatt' (smooth). It describes a head that is smooth because no hair grows on it. A person with a bald head is described as 'glatzköpfig' (bald-headed).
EXAMPLE
Im Sommer ist ein glatter Kopf sehr praktisch.
In summer, a smooth head is very practical.
Typical verbs
You can say 'eine Glatze haben' (to have a bald head) as a state, or 'eine Glatze tragen' (to wear a bald head), often as a conscious choice. If someone removes their hair, you can say 'sich eine Glatze rasieren' (to shave one's head bald).
EXAMPLE
Er hat sich entschieden, eine Glatze zu tragen.
He decided to wear a bald head.
Context clue
If only a bald spot is meant, this is often made clear by additional words. Typical phrases are 'eine beginnende Glatze' (an emerging bald spot) or 'eine Glatze am Hinterkopf' (a bald spot on the back of the head).
EXAMPLE
Er macht sich Sorgen wegen seiner beginnenden Glatze.
He is worried about his emerging bald spot.
Register
Using 'Glatze' (bald head/bald spot) for a single bald spot is rather colloquial. In a more formal or medical context, one would speak of 'Haarausfall' (hair loss) or a 'kahle Stelle' (bald spot).
EXAMPLE
Er hat schon eine kleine Glatze auf dem Kopf.
He already has a small bald spot on his head.
Compare with
Glatze vs Platte
plate / record
Platte and Glatze can both refer to a bald area on the head. Platte is colloquial and often means one larger bald spot, while Glatze is a neutral term for a completely or largely bald head. Glatze is usually more suitable in factual descriptions; Platte sounds humorous.
Glatze
Nach vielen Jahren hatte er eine vollständige Glatze.
After many years, he was completely bald.
Platte
Nach dem Haarausfall hatte er eine große Platte am Hinterkopf.
After losing his hair, he had a large bald patch at the back of his head.
In real life
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