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irakisch
Iraqi
Relating to Iraq, its people, its culture, or language; originating from Iraq.
example
Die irakische Küche ist für ihre vielfältigen und aromatischen Gerichte bekannt.
Iraqi cuisine is known for its varied and aromatic dishes.
irakisch
Iraqi
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word structure
Adjectives that describe origin are often formed in German with the ending '-isch'. Here, the country 'der Irak' (Iraq) becomes the adjective 'irakisch' (Iraqi).
EXAMPLE
Er interessiert sich für die Geschichte des Irak und die irakische Kultur.
He is interested in the history of Iraq and Iraqi culture.
Common mistake
Unlike in English, adjectives derived from country names and ending in '-isch' are written in lowercase in German. So it is 'irakisch' (Iraqi), not 'Irakisch'.
EXAMPLE
Wir haben gestern in einem irakischen Restaurant gegessen.
We ate at an Iraqi restaurant yesterday.
Sentence structure and usage
Like other adjectives, 'irakisch' (Iraqi) can stand before a noun, in which case it is declined, or after a verb like 'sein' (to be), in which case it remains unchanged.
EXAMPLE
Ein irakischer Künstler stellt seine Werke in Berlin aus.
An Iraqi artist is exhibiting his works in Berlin.
Compare with
irakisch vs arabisch
Arabic
'arabisch' and 'irakisch' can overlap because Iraq belongs to the Arab world and Arabic is an important language there. However, 'arabisch' is more general: it can mean the language or Arab culture as a whole. 'irakisch' is more specific and refers to Iraq, its people, its culture, or something that comes from Iraq. Learners may confuse the words if they do not separate origin and language. A person can be Iraqi and speak Arabic, but 'irakisch' is not simply the same as 'arabisch'.
irakisch
Im Kurs habe ich eine irakische Familie kennengelernt.
In the course, I met an Iraqi family.
arabisch
Nach dem Essen spricht sie mit ihrem Onkel arabisch.
After dinner, she speaks Arabic with her uncle.
In real life
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