01
die Horde
horde
A large, unorganized, and often noisy or wild group of people. The term is usually used negatively.
example
Eine Horde von Reportern wartete vor dem Gerichtsgebäude.
A horde of reporters was waiting outside the courthouse.
die Horde
horde
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
01 / 03
Usage tips
Context clues
You can recognize the meaning of 'Horde' (horde) from the context. If it is about noisy tourists or fans, it refers to the negative sense of a group of people. In connection with history, e.g. 'Mongolen' (Mongols), 'Mittelalter' (Middle Ages), it means the historical group. With animal names, e.g. 'Affen' (monkeys), it refers to a group of animals.
EXAMPLE
Eine Horde Jugendlicher machte in der U-Bahn Lärm.
A horde of teenagers made noise in the subway.
Negative meaning
When 'Horde' (horde) is used for a group of people, the word almost always has a negative, derogatory meaning. It describes a chaotic, loud, or unpleasant group.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem Konzert stürmte eine Horde Fans auf die Bühne zu.
After the concert, a horde of fans stormed toward the stage.
Typical construction
The construction 'eine Horde von' (a horde of) followed by a plural group of people is especially common. Typical examples are 'eine Horde von Kindern' (a horde of children), 'eine Horde von Touristen' (a horde of tourists), or 'eine Horde von Journalisten' (a horde of journalists).
EXAMPLE
Im Park spielte eine Horde von Kindern Fußball.
A horde of children was playing soccer in the park.
Compare with
Horde vs Gruppe
group
'die Gruppe' and 'die Horde' can both refer to several people together. 'Gruppe' is neutral and works almost anytime people belong together or are doing something together. 'Horde' tends to describe many people who seem unorganized, loud, or wild. The word is often derogatory. Learners may confuse the words because both can mean a number of people. But 'Gruppe' is usually safer. Use 'Horde' only when you deliberately want to express a negative or very lively impression.
Horde
Nach dem Spiel rannte eine Horde Fans laut durch die Straße.
After the game, a horde of fans ran loudly through the street.
Gruppe
Für das Projekt hat die Lehrerin die Klasse in kleine Gruppen geteilt.
For the project, the teacher divided the class into small groups.
In real life
Loading video examples...