music / trouble / gnat
Loading your saved state.
music
Colloquial expression for music. Used especially in youth language and informal contexts.
Lass uns am Wochenende auf ein Konzert gehen und gute Mucke hören.
Let's go to a concert on the weekend and listen to some good music.
to act up
Colloquial, usually used in the plural, for moods, airs, or unexpected problems. Describes stubborn or unpredictable behavior by people or devices.
Der alte Drucker macht schon wieder Mucken und druckt nur leere Seiten.
The old printer is acting up again and only printing blank pages.
gnat / small fly
A regional or increasingly old-fashioned expression for a small flying insect, such as a small fly or a mosquito.
Pass auf, dass dir beim Radfahren keine Mucke ins Auge fliegt.
Be careful that a gnat doesn't fly into your eye while you're cycling.
You can recognize the meaning of 'Mucke(n)' from the context. If it is about listening, it means music. If it appears in the plural with the verb 'machen' (to make/do), it is about problems. If it is about a single animal, it means an insect.
Mach mal die Mucke leiser, ich kann nicht telefonieren!
Turn the music down a bit, I can't talk on the phone!
The expression 'Mucke' (music) is purely colloquial and youth language. It is not used in formal situations or in written correspondence.
Was für Mucke hörst du am liebsten?
What kind of music do you like listening to most?
The meaning 'Probleme' (problems) or 'Launen' (moods) is used almost exclusively in the fixed expression 'Mucken machen' (to act up / cause trouble). Here the word is always in the plural.
Das Auto macht schon wieder Mucken, es springt nicht an.
The car is acting up again; it won't start.
The meaning 'Insekt' (insect) is rare today and more regional or old-fashioned. In most parts of Germany, people would say 'Mücke' (mosquito/gnat) or 'Fliege' (fly).
Ich habe eine Mucke im Zimmer, die mich nicht schlafen lässt.
There is a gnat in my room that won't let me sleep.
mosquito
In some regions, Mücke and Mucke can both refer to a small flying insect. Mücke is the standard term used throughout the German-speaking region, while Mucke sounds regional or old-fashioned in this meaning. For a generally understandable statement about the insect, you should use Mücke; Mucke is mainly suitable in the corresponding regional usage.
Meine Großmutter nennt das kleine Insekt am Fenster noch immer eine Mucke.
My grandmother still calls the small insect on the window a Mucke.
Eine Mücke saß am Fenster und flog hinaus, als ich es öffnete.
A mosquito was sitting on the window and flew out when I opened it.
