lemon
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lemon
A citrus fruit that is very similar to a lemon. In German, the term is often used synonymously with Zitrone (lemon) or to refer to a specific, usually larger and milder variety.
Für den Drink nehme ich lieber eine Lemon statt einer Limette.
For the drink, I prefer to use a lemon instead of a lime.
Careful: In English, 'lemon' is the standard word for the fruit. In German, 'die Lemon' is known, but it is often perceived as a modern or special variant and is not the usual word in all contexts.
Dieses Mineralwasser gibt es jetzt auch mit einem Hauch von Lemon.
This mineral water is now also available with a hint of lemon.
The word 'Lemon' is often used in German in marketing, advertising, or gastronomy to sound modern or international. It is especially common on drinks menus.
Ich hätte gerne einen Eistee mit frischer Lemon.
I would like an iced tea with fresh lemon.
This meaning borrowed from English is very rare in German. You recognize it almost only in the context of products that do not work, typically used cars.
Mein neues Handy war eine echte Lemon und musste dreimal repariert werden.
My new phone was a real lemon and had to be repaired three times.
cucumber
'die Gurke' and 'die Lemon' can both colloquially mean a bad or unreliable product, especially a car. 'die Gurke' is understandable in German and is used casually or disparagingly for an old, bad vehicle or device. 'die Lemon' comes more from English and is rare in German. Many German learners might confuse the words because both describe a bad product in this figurative meaning. In normal everyday German, 'Gurke' is much more natural for this. 'Lemon' is more likely to be understood in specific contexts or by people who know the English expression.
Der Händler nannte das Auto eine Lemon, weil es ständig in die Werkstatt musste.
The dealer called the car a lemon because it constantly had to go to the repair shop.
Mein alter Laptop ist eine echte Gurke und braucht zehn Minuten zum Starten.
My old laptop is a real clunker and takes ten minutes to start.