kiss
Loading your saved state.
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.
Zum Abschied gab sie ihm einen Kuss auf die Wange.
As a goodbye, she gave him a kiss on the cheek.
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.
Er küsste sie zum ersten Mal.
He kissed her for the first time.
'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).
Die Mutter gibt ihrem Kind einen Kuss.
The mother gives her child a kiss.
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).
Er gab ihr einen sanften Kuss auf die Stirn.
He gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead.
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.
Möchtest du zum Nachtisch noch einen Kuss?
Would you like another chocolate kiss for dessert?
Using 'Kuss' for 'Schokokuss' is colloquial. In a more formal context, or to avoid misunderstandings, the full form 'der Schokokuss' (chocolate kiss) is used.
Im Supermarkt kaufe ich eine Packung Schokoküsse.
At the supermarket, I buy a pack of chocolate kisses.
to kiss
'Kuss' and 'küssen' describe the same action with the lips, but they belong to different parts of speech. 'Der Kuss' is the noun and refers to the touch itself. 'küssen' is the verb and describes someone doing this action. Learners can easily confuse the words because they look very similar and belong to the same situation. Pay attention to the grammar: you give or receive a kiss, but you kiss a person.
Zum Abschied gab die Mutter ihrem Kind einen Kuss auf die Stirn.
As a goodbye, the mother gave her child a kiss on the forehead.
Nach der langen Reise küsste er seine Frau zur Begrüßung.
After the long journey, he kissed his wife in greeting.