der Philosoph
philosopher
A person who deals academically or as a thinker with the fundamental questions of life, the world, and human existence.
EXAMPLE
Sokrates war ein berühmter griechischer Philosoph.
Socrates was a famous Greek philosopher.
der Philosoph
philosopher
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Meanings
der Philosoph
philosopher
In a figurative sense, a person who reacts to difficult situations with great calm and thoughtfulness.
EXAMPLE
Er nahm die Kündigung wie ein Philosoph auf und machte sich sofort an die Planung seiner Zukunft.
He took the dismissal like a philosopher and immediately began planning his future.
Usage tips
N-declension
'Der Philosoph' (the philosopher) belongs to the N-declension. This means that the noun takes the ending '-en' in the genitive, dative, and accusative singular. This is a common mistake among learners.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe ein Buch von einem berühmten Philosophen gelesen.
I read a book by a famous philosopher.
Word family
'Der Philosoph' (the philosopher) is part of a word family. Derived from it are 'die Philosophie' (philosophy, the field of study) and the adjective 'philosophisch' (philosophical, related to philosophy, thoughtful).
EXAMPLE
Sie studiert Philosophie im Hauptfach.
She is majoring in philosophy.
Context clue
The figurative meaning of a calm person can be recognized from context. It is usually used to describe someone's calm reaction to a negative or difficult everyday situation.
EXAMPLE
Obwohl sein Flug gestrichen wurde, blieb er ein Philosoph und trank in Ruhe einen Kaffee.
Although his flight was canceled, he remained a philosopher and calmly had a coffee.
Compare with
Philosoph vs Denker
thinker
Both words refer to people who engage deeply with profound questions and their own thoughts. Philosoph is more strongly associated with philosophical work or the academic field. Denker is more general and can also describe someone who independently develops important ideas in science or society.
Philosoph
Der Philosoph untersucht beruflich die Frage, was ein gutes Leben ausmacht.
The philosopher studies professionally what makes a good life.
Denker
Der Denker entwickelte unabhängig davon neue Ideen für die Gesellschaft.
The thinker independently developed new ideas for society.
In real life
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