haarig
hairy
Covered with hair or made of hair.
EXAMPLE
Der Hund hat sehr haarige Pfoten.
The dog has very hairy paws.
haarig
hairy
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Meanings
haarig
tricky
Colloquial for a difficult, delicate, or complicated matter.
EXAMPLE
Das war eine ziemlich haarige Situation, aus der wir uns gerade noch retten konnten.
That was a pretty tricky situation that we just barely managed to get out of.
Usage tips
Word formation
The adjective 'haarig' (hairy) is derived directly from the noun 'das Haar' (hair). The ending '-ig' is often used in German to form an adjective from a noun that means 'like' or 'full of' that noun.
EXAMPLE
Der neue Pullover ist von innen ganz weich und haarig.
The new sweater is completely soft and hairy on the inside.
Context clue
You can recognize the figurative meaning 'schwierig' (difficult) by the fact that 'haarig' (hairy/tricky) describes an abstract noun. If it refers to a living being or an object, the literal meaning 'covered with hair' is usually meant.
EXAMPLE
Seine Brust war sehr haarig.
His chest was very hairy.
Register: colloquial
The meaning 'schwierig' (difficult) or 'heikel' (delicate/tricky) is colloquial. In formal or written contexts, you would more likely use words such as 'kompliziert' (complicated), 'schwierig' (difficult), or 'heikel' (delicate/tricky).
EXAMPLE
Aus dieser haarigen Situation kommen wir nur mit Glück wieder heraus.
We'll only get out of this tricky situation again with luck.
Typical collocations
In the colloquial meaning, 'haarig' (tricky) is often combined with words such as 'Sache' (thing/matter), 'Angelegenheit' (matter), 'Situation' (situation), or 'Problem' (problem).
EXAMPLE
Die Reparatur des Motors ist eine haarige Angelegenheit.
Repairing the engine is a tricky matter.
Compare with
haarig vs behaart
hairy
Behaart and haarig can both express that a person or part of the body is covered with hair. Behaart describes this property in a factual way. Haarig often emphasizes the visible hairiness more strongly and can therefore sound more noticeable or evaluative.
haarig
Seine Arme sind auffällig dicht und haarig.
His arms are noticeably thickly covered with hair.
behaart
Seine Arme sind leicht behaart.
His arms are slightly hairy.
In real life
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