01
der Hunne
Hun
A member of the historical Eurasian horse-riding people known as the Huns, who advanced into Europe in Late Antiquity.
example
Attila war der bekannteste Anführer der Hunnen.
Attila was the best-known leader of the Huns.
der Hunne
Hun
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Meanings
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Usage tips
N-declension
'Der Hunne' (the Hun) is a weak masculine noun (N-declension). This means it takes the ending '-n' in all cases except the nominative singular.
EXAMPLE
Der Film handelt von einem Anführer der Hunnen.
The film is about a leader of the Huns.
Context clue
You can recognize the meaning from the context. If it is about history, the Migration Period, or Attila, the historical people is meant. If it is about destruction or chaos in everyday life, the derogatory, figurative meaning is meant.
EXAMPLE
Die Hunnen waren ein Reitervolk aus Zentralasien.
The Huns were a horse-riding people from Central Asia.
Strongly derogatory
In the figurative meaning, 'Hunne' (Hun) is a strongly derogatory, colloquial term for a person who behaves ruthlessly, destructively, or uncivilized.
EXAMPLE
Schau dir die Unordnung an! Hier waren wohl die Hunnen zu Besuch.
Look at the mess! The Huns must have been visiting here.
Fixed expression
A very common expression is 'hausen wie die Hunnen' (to live like the Huns). It means to live in a very messy and chaotic way or to leave a big mess behind.
EXAMPLE
Nach der WG-Party sah die Küche aus, als hätten dort die Hunnen gehaust.
After the shared-flat party, the kitchen looked as if the Huns had been living there.
Compare with
Hunne vs Barbar
barbarian
'der Barbar' and 'der Hunne' can both be used derogatorily for a person regarded as very crude, ruthless, or destructive. 'Barbar' is more general and mainly refers to a lack of culture or cruel behavior. 'Hunne' also has a clear historical meaning: a member of the Huns. As an insult, 'Hunne' is strongly derogatory and often sounds very harsh. The words can be confused because both are connected with history and with the image of wild people. In normal usage, 'Barbar' is the more general term; because of its insulting tone, 'Hunne' should be used very carefully.
Hunne
Im Geschichtsunterricht las die Klasse einen Text über einen Hunnen aus der Spätantike.
In history class, the class read a text about a Hun from Late Antiquity.
Barbar
Wer Tiere quält, verhält sich wie ein Barbar.
Anyone who tortures animals behaves like a barbarian.
In real life
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