die Lüge
lie
A deliberately false statement intended to deceive others or conceal a fact.
EXAMPLE
Die Lüge kam ans Licht, als die Polizei die Aufnahmen überprüfte.
The lie came to light when the police checked the recordings.
die Lüge
lie
die Lüge, die Lügen
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Meanings
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Lüge, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | feminine die |
|---|---|
| plural | die Lügen |
| genitive | der Lüge |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | die Lüge | die Lügen |
| accusative | die Lüge | die Lügen |
| dative | der Lüge | den Lügen |
| genitive | der Lüge | der Lügen |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Word family
'Lüge' (lie) belongs to the word family of 'lügen' (to lie). Compounds such as 'Notlüge' (white lie) and 'Lebenslüge' (self-deception) also contain 'Lüge' and refer to particular types of lies.
EXAMPLE
Das war doch nur eine kleine Notlüge.
That was just a little white lie.
Typical collocations
The verbs 'erzählen' (to tell), 'verbreiten' (to spread), 'aufdecken' (to uncover), and 'entlarven' (to expose) are especially common with 'Lüge'. A lie can also be 'dreist' (brazen), 'offensichtlich' (obvious), or 'bewusst' (deliberate).
EXAMPLE
Die Journalistin deckte die Lüge nach gründlichen Recherchen auf.
The journalist uncovered the lie after thorough research.
Fixed expressions
In the expression 'jemandem eine Lüge auftischen' (to tell someone a lie), 'auftischen' means telling someone an invented story. This expression is somewhat colloquial and is often used critically or ironically.
EXAMPLE
Er hat seiner Familie eine Lüge aufgetischt, um den Fehler zu verbergen.
He told his family a lie to hide the mistake.
In real life
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