der Mittagsschlaf
nap
A sleep at midday or in the early afternoon, usually for relaxation and often only a short time.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem Essen macht mein Großvater jeden Tag einen Mittagsschlaf.
After lunch, my grandfather takes a nap every day.
der Mittagsschlaf
nap
der Mittagsschlaf
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Meanings
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Mittagsschlaf, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | masculine der |
|---|---|
| genitive | des Mittagsschlafes |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | der Mittagsschlaf | – |
| accusative | den Mittagsschlaf | – |
| dative | dem Mittagsschlaf | – |
| genitive | des Mittagsschlafes des Mittagsschlafs | – |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Compound words
'Mittagsschlaf' is made up of 'Mittag' (noon) and 'Schlaf' (sleep). So it means a sleep that takes place around midday.
EXAMPLE
Ein kurzer Mittagsschlaf gibt mir am Nachmittag neue Energie.
A short nap gives me new energy in the afternoon.
Typical collocations
With 'Mittagsschlaf' (nap), verbs such as 'machen' (to take), 'halten' (to take), and 'brauchen' (to need) are especially common. It is also common to specify the duration.
EXAMPLE
Wegen der langen Nacht musste ich einen zweistündigen Mittagsschlaf machen.
Because of the long night, I had to take a two-hour nap.
Time expressions
'Mittagsschlaf' (nap) is often used with time expressions such as 'nach dem Mittagessen' (after lunch), 'am frühen Nachmittag' (in the early afternoon), or 'jeden Tag' (every day). This gives more precise information about when the sleep takes place.
EXAMPLE
Am frühen Nachmittag hält unsere Tochter meistens einen kurzen Mittagsschlaf.
In the early afternoon, our daughter usually takes a short nap.
In real life
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