nostalgisch
nostalgic
Feeling or expressing a longing, often idealized and sentimental attitude toward the past.
EXAMPLE
Beim Anblick der alten Fotos wurde er ganz nostalgisch.
At the sight of the old photos, he became very nostalgic.
nostalgisch
nostalgic
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word family
The adjective 'nostalgisch' (nostalgic) belongs to the noun 'die Nostalgie' (nostalgia). If you know the noun, you can easily derive the meaning of the adjective.
EXAMPLE
Er spürte eine Welle der Nostalgie, als er seine alte Schule besuchte.
He felt a wave of nostalgia when he visited his old school.
Sentence structure and usage
'Nostalgisch' (nostalgic) is often used with the verb 'werden' (to become) to describe the beginning of the feeling. It can also stand as an attribute before a noun to describe something that triggers this feeling.
EXAMPLE
Jedes Mal, wenn ich dieses Lied höre, werde ich ein bisschen nostalgisch.
Every time I hear this song, I become a little nostalgic.
Typical triggers
The trigger for the nostalgic feeling is often introduced with prepositions such as 'bei' (at/when) or 'durch' (through/by). Typical formulations are 'beim Anblick von...' (at the sight of...) or 'beim Hören von...' (when listening to...).
EXAMPLE
Beim Betrachten der alten Familienalben wurde die Großmutter ganz nostalgisch.
While looking at the old family albums, the grandmother became very nostalgic.
Compare with
nostalgisch vs retro
retro
Retro refers to the deliberate adoption of stylistic elements from past decades. Nostalgisch, by contrast, emphasizes a longing or sentimental attitude toward the past. A room is retro because of its design; nostalgisch fits when it primarily expresses or evokes those feelings.
nostalgisch
Das Café ist nostalgisch eingerichtet und erinnert die Besitzerin sehnsüchtig an ihre Jugend.
The café has a nostalgic interior that makes the owner long for her youth.
retro
Das Café ist mit Möbeln im Stil der 1960er Jahre bewusst retro eingerichtet.
The café is deliberately furnished in a retro style with 1960s furniture.
In real life
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