01
der Pulli
sweater
A colloquial, widely used term for a pullover.
example
Es wird kühl heute Abend, nimm dir lieber einen Pulli mit.
It's going to get cool this evening; you'd better take a sweater with you.
der Pulli
sweater
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word structure
'Pulli' (sweater) is the common and popular short form of the word 'Pullover'. Its origin lies in the English 'pull over' (to pull over/on).
EXAMPLE
Ich habe mir einen neuen Pullover gekauft, mein alter Pulli war schon ganz kaputt.
I bought myself a new pullover; my old sweater was already completely worn out.
Register: colloquial
The word 'Pulli' (sweater) is mainly used in spoken, informal everyday language. In formal texts or situations, 'Pullover' is the more usual choice.
EXAMPLE
Was für einen schönen Pulli du anhast!
What a nice sweater you're wearing!
Typical collocations
Common combinations describe wearing the sweater or its qualities, for example: 'einen Pulli anziehen' (to put on a sweater), 'einen Pulli tragen' (to wear a sweater), 'ein warmer Pulli' (a warm sweater), or 'ein dicker Wollpulli' (a thick wool sweater).
EXAMPLE
Zieh dir einen dicken Pulli an, es ist kalt draußen.
Put on a thick sweater; it's cold outside.
Compare with
Pulli vs Pullover
sweater
'der Pullover' and 'der Pulli' mean almost the same everyday item of clothing: something warm for the upper body with long sleeves. The difference is mainly in style. 'Pullover' is neutral and fits almost any situation, including shopping or a description. 'Pulli' is colloquial and sounds more casual, especially among friends or family. Learners can easily confuse the words because they are often interchangeable. If you are unsure, 'Pullover' is always the more neutral choice.
Pulli
Im Urlaub kauft Herr Lange seinem Sohn einen warmen Pulli.
On vacation, Mr. Lange buys his son a warm sweater.
Pullover
Die Verkäuferin zeigt mir einen blauen Pullover aus Wolle.
The saleswoman shows me a blue wool sweater.
In real life
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