old man
Loading your saved state.
old man
A very old man. The term is often perceived as dignified, but also as old-fashioned, and is mostly used in literature or in an elevated style.
Der weise Greis saß auf der Parkbank und erzählte den Kindern Geschichten von früher.
The wise old man sat on the park bench and told the children stories from long ago.
'Der Greis' (the old man) belongs to the N-declension. This means that it takes an '-en' ending in all cases except the nominative singular. The genitive singular is an exception and is 'des Greises'.
Die Kinder lauschten den Geschichten des Greises.
The children listened to the old man's stories.
This word belongs to an elevated, literary style and can sound old-fashioned or overly formal in everyday speech. It is often used to express wisdom and old age.
In alten Märchen trifft der Held oft einen weisen Greis im Wald.
In old fairy tales, the hero often meets a wise old man in the forest.
Common adjectives used with 'Greis' (old man) to characterize the figure are 'weise' (wise), 'ehrwürdig' (venerable), or simply 'alt' (old).
Ein ehrwürdiger Greis begrüßte die Gäste am Eingang des Klosters.
A venerable old man greeted the guests at the entrance to the monastery.
senior
Both Senior and Greis can respectfully refer to an older man. Senior sounds neutral or polite and usually refers to an older person, while Greis emphasizes a very advanced age more strongly and often sounds literary or old-fashioned. In everyday speech, Senior is usually the better choice; in an elevated text, Greis is more appropriate.
Der Greis blickte im Roman schweigend auf das Dorf hinab.
In the novel, the old man gazed silently down at the village.
Der Senior wartet geduldig an der Bushaltestelle.
The senior citizen waits patiently at the bus stop.
