01
die Hose
pants / trousers
A piece of clothing that covers the legs and is fastened at the upper body.
example
Ich brauche eine neue Hose für die Arbeit.
I need a new pair of pants for work.
die Hose
pants / trousers
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Meanings
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Usage tips
False friend
Although 'Hose' looks like the English word 'hose' (garden hose), it means 'pants' or 'trousers'. This is a common source of confusion.
EXAMPLE
Für die Gartenarbeit trage ich eine alte Hose.
I wear an old pair of pants for gardening.
Use in the singular
In German, 'die Hose' is usually used in the singular to refer to one garment with two legs. So you say 'eine Hose' (a pair of pants), not 'ein Paar Hosen' (a pair of pants).
EXAMPLE
Ich habe mir gestern eine neue Hose gekauft.
I bought myself a new pair of pants yesterday.
Fixed expression
The colloquial expression 'in die Hose gehen' (to go wrong) describes a failure. The subject of the sentence is the plan or action that fails.
EXAMPLE
Unsere geplante Überraschungsparty ist leider in die Hose gegangen.
Our planned surprise party unfortunately went wrong.
Fixed expression
The idiom 'die Hosen anhaben' (to wear the pants) means to have control or decision-making power. The person who makes the decisions is the subject of the sentence.
EXAMPLE
In dieser Abteilung hat ganz klar die Projektleiterin die Hosen an.
In this department, the project manager is clearly the one who wears the pants.
Reflexive expression
The expression 'sich in die Hose machen' means to be very afraid. Pay attention to the reflexive pronoun 'sich', which refers to the person who is afraid.
EXAMPLE
Vor der wichtigen Prüfung habe ich mir fast in die Hose gemacht.
Before the important exam, I was almost scared stiff.
Compare with
Hose vs gelingen
to succeed
'in die Hose gehen' and 'gelingen' are clear opposites. The expression 'in die Hose gehen' is colloquial and means that something fails or goes wrong. 'gelingen' means that something succeeds and has a good result. Important: this is not about 'die Hose' as a piece of clothing, but about the fixed expression. If a plan, an exam, or an attempt goes well, you say 'es gelingt'. If it goes badly, you can say colloquially: 'Es geht in die Hose.'
Hose
Ohne gute Vorbereitung kann die Präsentation schnell in die Hose gehen.
Without good preparation, the presentation can quickly go wrong.
gelingen
Mit etwas Übung gelingt dir der Kuchen bestimmt.
With a little practice, the cake will definitely turn out well for you.
In real life
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