night watchman
der Nachtwächter, die Nachtwächter
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night watchman
A person whose job is to guard a building, site, or facility during the night and ensure security.
Der Nachtwächter macht jede Stunde seinen Rundgang durch das Fabrikgelände.
The night watchman makes his rounds through the factory grounds every hour.
night watchman
A historical profession in which a person walked through the streets of a town at night to maintain order, call out the hours, and warn of fires.
Bei der Stadtführung erzählte der als Nachtwächter verkleidete Guide Geschichten aus dem Mittelalter.
During the city tour, the guide dressed as a night watchman told stories from the Middle Ages.
slowpoke
Colloquial and derogatory for a person perceived as slow, inattentive, or mentally sluggish.
Beeil dich mal, du alter Nachtwächter, sonst verpassen wir den Zug!
Hurry up, you old slowpoke, or we'll miss the train!
| gender | masculine der |
|---|---|
| plural | die Nachtwächter |
| genitive | des Nachtwächters |
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | der Nachtwächter | die Nachtwächter |
| accusative | den Nachtwächter | die Nachtwächter |
| dative | dem Nachtwächter | den Nachtwächtern |
| genitive | des Nachtwächters | der Nachtwächter |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
The word is a clear compound of 'die Nacht' (night) and 'der Wächter' (watchman/guard). A 'Wächter' is a person who keeps watch or guards something. So 'der Nachtwächter' (night watchman) is literally a person who keeps watch at night.
Die Firma stellt einen Nachtwächter ein, um das Gelände zu sichern.
The company hires a night watchman to secure the site.
The modern 'Nachtwächter' (night watchman) is associated with typical activities such as 'einen Rundgang machen' (to make rounds), 'ein Gelände bewachen' (to guard a site), or 'für Sicherheit sorgen' (to ensure security).
Der Nachtwächter macht zweimal pro Nacht einen Kontrollgang durch das Gebäude.
The night watchman makes an inspection round through the building twice a night.
The historical meaning is often recognizable from signal words such as 'früher' (in the past), 'im Mittelalter' (in the Middle Ages), or in connection with 'Stadtführungen' (city tours) in old towns.
In Rothenburg ob der Tauber kann man abends an einer Tour mit dem Nachtwächter teilnehmen.
In Rothenburg ob der Tauber, you can take part in an evening tour with the night watchman.
Using 'Nachtwächter' (slowpoke) as an insult for a slow person is purely colloquial and derogatory. It is often found in direct, impatient forms of address.
Nun komm schon, du Nachtwächter, wir sind schon spät dran!
Come on already, you slowpoke, we're already running late!
