goulash
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goulash
A ragout or stew originally from Hungary. It typically consists of cubes of beef or pork that are slowly braised in a spicy sauce with lots of onions and paprika.
An kalten Tagen esse ich am liebsten ein deftiges Gulasch mit Semmelknödeln.
On cold days, my favorite thing to eat is a hearty goulash with bread dumplings.
You can easily recognize the meaning of 'Gulasch' (goulash) from the context. If people are talking about food, cooking, or restaurants, it refers to the dish. In contexts involving organization, data, or chaos, it has the colloquial meaning 'Durcheinander' (mess).
Zum Mittagessen gibt es heute Gulasch mit Nudeln.
Today for lunch there is goulash with noodles.
When referring to the dish, 'Gulasch' (goulash) is often used with verbs such as 'kochen' (to cook) or 'zubereiten' (to prepare). Typical adjectives are 'deftig' (hearty), 'scharf' (spicy), or 'ungarisch' (Hungarian).
Meine Oma kocht das beste Gulasch.
My grandma cooks the best goulash.
The meaning 'Durcheinander' (mess) or 'Wirrwarr' (jumble) is purely colloquial. Use this expression in informal conversations, but not in formal texts or presentations.
Auf seinem Schreibtisch herrscht ein einziges Gulasch aus Papieren und Büchern.
His desk is one big goulash of papers and books.
chaos
'das Chaos' and 'das Gulasch' can both mean a big mess. 'Chaos' is the normal word for serious disorder or confusion. 'Gulasch' is used this way only colloquially, often when data, lists, or plans have become completely mixed up. Learners may confuse the words because 'Gulasch' sounds similar to 'Chaos' in this meaning. But the important point is: 'Gulasch' is normally a food. For general disorder, 'Chaos' is usually more natural and clearer.
Nach dem Import waren die Kundendaten ein einziges Gulasch.
After the import, the customer data was one big jumble.
Nach dem Umzug herrschte in der ganzen Wohnung ein großes Chaos.
After the move, there was a huge mess throughout the apartment.