muffig
musty
Having a damp, stale, or moldy smell, usually because of moisture and a lack of fresh air.
EXAMPLE
Im Keller war die Luft feucht und muffig.
The air in the basement was damp and musty.
muffig
musty / narrow-minded / grumpy
muffig – muffiger – am muffigsten
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Meanings
muffig
narrow-minded
Narrow-minded, not very open-minded, and clinging to outdated ideas.
EXAMPLE
Seine muffigen Ansichten passen nicht mehr in unsere Zeit.
His narrow-minded views no longer fit our times.
muffig
grumpy
Colloquial: in a bad mood, sullen, or unfriendly.
EXAMPLE
Warum bist du heute so muffig?
Why are you so grumpy today?
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry muffig, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
Comparison
| basic form | muffig |
|---|---|
| comparative | muffiger |
| superlative | am muffigsten |
After der, die, das
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -e | -e | -e | -en |
| acc. | -en | -e | -e | -en |
| dat. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
| gen. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
Add the ending to muffig.
After ein, eine
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -er | -e | -es | -en |
| acc. | -en | -e | -es | -en |
| dat. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
| gen. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
Add the ending to muffig.
Without article
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -er | -e | -es | -e |
| acc. | -en | -e | -es | -e |
| dat. | -em | -er | -em | -en |
| gen. | -en | -er | -en | -er |
Add the ending to muffig.
Usage tips
Context clues
With rooms, air, or clothing, 'muffig' (musty) usually describes a smell. With views or ways of thinking, it refers to a lack of openness; with people and their behavior, it usually means they are in a bad mood or unfriendly.
EXAMPLE
Die Jacke riecht muffig, weil sie lange im feuchten Schrank hing.
The jacket smells musty because it hung in the damp closet for a long time.
Der Artikel kritisiert das muffige Denken in der Vereinsführung.
The article criticizes the musty thinking in the club's leadership.
Der Verkäufer war muffig und sah uns kaum an.
The salesperson was grumpy and barely looked at us.
Typical collocations
'Muffig' (musty) is especially often used with 'riechen' (to smell). To describe the smell in a place, the pattern 'es riecht muffig' (it smells musty) is also common; the place is additionally mentioned.
EXAMPLE
Im Gästezimmer riecht es muffig, obwohl das Fenster offen steht.
The guest room smells musty even though the window is open.
Describing behavior
With 'muffig antworten' (to answer grumpily) or 'muffig reagieren' (to react grumpily), you describe the unfriendly manner of someone's statement or reaction. 'Muffig' appears without an ending after the verb.
EXAMPLE
Auf meine freundliche Frage antwortete er ziemlich muffig.
He answered my friendly question rather grumpily.
In real life
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