der Haufen
pile
An unordered collection or stack of things.
EXAMPLE
Auf dem Schreibtisch lag ein großer Haufen Papiere.
There was a large pile of papers on the desk.
der Haufen
pile / bunch
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Meanings
der Haufen
a bunch / a lot
Colloquial for a large amount or number of something.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe noch einen Haufen Arbeit zu erledigen.
I still have a bunch of work to do.
der Haufen
bunch / lot
Colloquial and often slightly derogatory for a group of people.
EXAMPLE
Was will dieser komische Haufen von uns?
What does this weird bunch want from us?
der Haufen
pile / poop
A collection of excrement, usually from an animal.
EXAMPLE
Pass auf, dass du nicht in den Hundehaufen trittst.
Watch out that you don't step in the pile of dog poop.
Usage tips
Word family
'Der Haufen' (the pile) is related to the verb 'häufen' (to pile up), which means 'to heap something up into a mound.' So a Haufen is the result of häufen.
EXAMPLE
Die Kinder häuften den Sand zu einer großen Burg.
The children piled the sand up into a large castle.
Typical collocations
When referring to an unordered quantity, 'Haufen' (pile) is often combined with materials or objects. Typical examples are 'ein Haufen Sand' (a pile of sand), 'ein Haufen Steine' (a pile of stones), or 'etwas auf einen Haufen werfen' (to throw something into a pile).
EXAMPLE
Im Garten liegt ein großer Haufen Laub.
There is a large pile of leaves in the garden.
Colloquial use
In the meaning 'eine große Menge' (a large amount), 'ein Haufen' (a bunch / a lot) is very colloquial. It is used in spoken language for both countable and uncountable things.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe einen Haufen Ideen, aber keine Zeit.
I have a bunch of ideas, but no time.
Negative undertone
When 'Haufen' (bunch / lot) describes a group of people, the word often has a negative or distant undertone. It sounds more disrespectful than the neutral word 'Gruppe' (group).
EXAMPLE
Ich will mit diesem Haufen nichts zu tun haben.
I don't want anything to do with this lot.
Specific use
In the meaning 'Exkremente' (excrement), the word is almost always used in the compound 'der Hundehaufen' (pile of dog poop). It is a very everyday word for referring to dog feces.
EXAMPLE
In vielen Parks gibt es Strafen für nicht entfernte Hundehaufen.
In many parks, there are fines for dog poop that is not removed.
Compare with
Haufen vs Gruppe
group
Gruppe is a neutral term for several people who belong together. Haufen can also informally mean a group of people, but it often sounds disorganized or slightly derogatory. Use Gruppe for an objective description; Haufen suggests a casual or negative view of the people.
Haufen
Vor dem Eingang wartet schon wieder dieser laute Haufen Jugendlicher.
That loud bunch of teenagers is waiting by the entrance again.
Gruppe
Vor dem Eingang wartet eine Gruppe von Jugendlichen.
A group of teenagers is waiting by the entrance.
In real life
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