01
hell
bright
Giving off or receiving a lot of light; not dark.
example
Im Sommer bleibt es abends lange hell.
In summer it stays bright for a long time in the evenings.
hell
bright / light
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Meanings
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Usage tips
False friend
'Hell' means 'licht' (bright) or 'nicht dunkel' (not dark) and has nothing to do with the English word 'hell' ('Hölle' in German). This mix-up is a common mistake among English-speaking learners.
EXAMPLE
Im Sommer sind die Abende angenehm lang und hell.
In summer, the evenings are pleasantly long and bright.
Sentence structure and use
'Hell' can describe a quality (predicative) or the manner of an action (adverbial). Pay attention to the context to recognize its function.
EXAMPLE
Das Zimmer ist sehr hell und freundlich.
The room is very bright and welcoming.
Combination with colors
To describe a lighter shade of color, 'hell' is placed directly before the color and written together with it. This creates new adjectives such as 'hellblau' (light blue) or 'hellgrün' (light green).
EXAMPLE
Für das Babyzimmer haben wir ein zartes Hellgelb gewählt.
For the baby's room, we chose a soft light yellow.
Typical collocations
With tones and sounds, 'hell' is often combined with 'Stimme' (voice), 'Klang' (sound), or 'Lachen' (laughter) to describe a high and clear tone.
EXAMPLE
Die Sopranistin sang die Arie mit einer unglaublich hellen Stimme.
The soprano sang the aria with an incredibly high, clear voice.
Fixed expression
The colloquial meaning 'klug' (clever) is almost always used in the fixed expression 'ein heller Kopf sein' (to be a bright mind) or in combinations like 'ein helles Mädchen' (a bright girl) or 'ein heller Junge' (a bright boy).
EXAMPLE
Sie löst jedes Rätsel, sie ist wirklich ein heller Kopf.
She solves every puzzle; she really is a bright mind.
Compare with
hell vs klar
clear
'klar' and 'hell' both describe something that can be perceived well, but they fit different situations. Use 'klar' when something is easy to understand, unambiguous, or transparent. An explanation, an answer, or water can be 'klar'. Use 'hell' when there is a lot of light or when a color is not dark. A voice or tone can also be 'hell' if it sounds high and clear. Learners often confuse the words because both feel positive and distinct. Memory tip: an explanation is 'klar', a room is 'hell'.
hell
Am Wochenende streicht Emil sein Zimmer hellblau.
At the weekend, Emil is painting his room light blue.
klar
Nach der Erklärung ist mir die Aufgabe endlich klar.
After the explanation, the task is finally clear to me.
In real life
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