die Kippe
cigarette
A colloquial term for a cigarette.
EXAMPLE
Hast du eine Kippe für mich?
Have you got a cigarette for me?
die Kippe
cigarette / cigarette butt / dump
die Kippe, die Kippen
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Meanings
die Kippe
cigarette butt
The remaining end of a cigarette after it has been smoked.
EXAMPLE
Bitte wirf die Kippe in den Aschenbecher.
Please put the cigarette butt in the ashtray.
auf der Kippe stehen
to hang in the balance
To be in an uncertain or precarious position; the outcome is unclear.
EXAMPLE
Nach diesem Streit steht ihre Beziehung auf der Kippe.
After that argument, their relationship hangs in the balance.
die Kippe
dump
A place where rubbish or rubble is dumped; a rubbish dump or a disposal site for construction waste.
EXAMPLE
Früher wurde der Bauschutt einfach auf die Kippe gebracht.
In the past, construction rubble was simply taken to the dump.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Kippe, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | feminine die |
|---|---|
| plural | die Kippen |
| genitive | der Kippe |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | die Kippe | die Kippen |
| accusative | die Kippe | die Kippen |
| dative | der Kippe | den Kippen |
| genitive | der Kippe | der Kippen |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Colloquial language
In the sense of 'Zigarette' (cigarette), 'Kippe' (cigarette) is mainly used in informal everyday speech. Typical collocations are 'eine Kippe rauchen' (to smoke a cigarette), 'eine Kippe anzünden' (to light a cigarette), and 'jemanden um eine Kippe bitten' (to ask someone for a cigarette).
EXAMPLE
Vor der Arbeit raucht er noch schnell eine Kippe.
He has a quick cigarette before work.
Sie bat ihren Kollegen um eine Kippe.
She asked her colleague for a cigarette.
Context clue
You can often tell from the verb whether 'Kippe' means a whole cigarette or just the butt: with 'anzünden' (to light) or 'rauchen' (to smoke), it means the cigarette; with 'ausdrücken' (to stub out), 'wegwerfen' (to throw away), or 'aufheben' (to pick up), it usually means the butt left after smoking.
EXAMPLE
Er drückte die Kippe sorgfältig im Aschenbecher aus.
He carefully stubbed out the cigarette butt in the ashtray.
Jemand hatte eine Kippe auf den Boden geworfen.
Someone had thrown a cigarette butt on the ground.
Fixed expression
In 'auf der Kippe stehen' (to hang in the balance), 'auf der Kippe' is a fixed prepositional phrase, usually used with 'stehen' (to stand). The subject is often a relationship, a decision, or a situation.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem schlechten Prüfungsergebnis steht sein Studienplatz auf der Kippe.
After his poor exam result, his place at university hangs in the balance.
Colloquial usage
The use of 'Kippe' (dump) for a place where rubbish or rubble is deposited is colloquial and occurs particularly in conversations about rubbish, construction rubble, or waste disposal. In this sense, 'Kippe' is often used with verbs such as 'bringen' (to take), 'fahren' (to drive), or 'abladen' (to unload or dump).
EXAMPLE
Am Wochenende lud er die Gartenabfälle auf der Kippe am Stadtrand ab.
At the weekend, he dumped the garden waste at the dump on the outskirts of town.
In real life
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