der Kuss
kiss
The touching of the lips to another person's skin or to an object, usually as a sign of love, affection, or as a greeting.
EXAMPLE
Zum Abschied gab sie ihm einen Kuss auf die Wange.
As a goodbye, she gave him a kiss on the cheek.
der Kuss
kiss
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Meanings
der Kuss
chocolate kiss
Short form of Schokokuss, a sweet made of foam sugar on a wafer, covered with chocolate.
EXAMPLE
Auf dem Kindergeburtstag gab es Kuchen und Schokoküsse.
At the children's birthday party, there was cake and chocolate kisses.
Usage tips
Word family
The noun 'der Kuss' (kiss) belongs to the verb 'küssen' (to kiss). If you know the verb, you can easily figure out the meaning of the noun.
EXAMPLE
Er küsste sie zum ersten Mal.
He kissed her for the first time.
Sentence structure and usage patterns
'Kuss' is very often used with the verb 'geben' (to give). The person who receives the kiss is in the dative, and 'einen Kuss' is in the accusative: jemandem einen Kuss geben (to give someone a kiss).
EXAMPLE
Die Mutter gibt ihrem Kind einen Kuss.
The mother gives her child a kiss.
Typical collocations
To specify where someone is kissed, you use the preposition 'auf' with the accusative. Typical phrases are 'ein Kuss auf die Wange' (a kiss on the cheek), 'ein Kuss auf die Stirn' (a kiss on the forehead), or 'ein Kuss auf den Mund' (a kiss on the mouth).
EXAMPLE
Er gab ihr einen sanften Kuss auf die Stirn.
He gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead.
Context clue
You can clearly recognize the meaning 'sweet' from the context. If it's about food, sweets, desserts, or children's birthday parties, a Schokokuss is probably meant.
EXAMPLE
Möchtest du zum Nachtisch noch einen Kuss?
Would you like another chocolate kiss for dessert?
Register
Using 'Kuss' for 'Schokokuss' is colloquial. In a more formal context, or to avoid misunderstandings, the full form 'der Schokokuss' (chocolate kiss) is used.
EXAMPLE
Im Supermarkt kaufe ich eine Packung Schokoküsse.
At the supermarket, I buy a pack of chocolate kisses.
Compare with
Kuss vs Küsschen
little kiss
Both words refer to touching someone with the lips as a sign of affection or as a greeting. „Kuss“ is the neutral term. „Küsschen“ sounds diminutive and often refers to a brief, rather casual kiss given when greeting someone or saying goodbye, without necessarily implying a smaller movement.
Kuss
Zum Abschied gab sie ihrem Partner einen langen Kuss.
As they said goodbye, she gave her partner a long kiss.
Küsschen
Zum Abschied gab sie ihrem Freund ein schnelles Küsschen auf die Wange.
As they said goodbye, she gave her boyfriend a quick kiss on the cheek.
In real life
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