der Purpur
purple
A rich red color with a violet tint.
EXAMPLE
Der Purpur des Abendhimmels spiegelte sich im See.
The purple of the evening sky was reflected in the lake.
der Purpur
purple
der Purpur
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Meanings
der Purpur
purple dye
A valuable red to violet dye that was originally obtained from certain sea snails.
EXAMPLE
In der Antike färbte man besonders wertvolle Stoffe mit Purpur.
In ancient times, particularly valuable fabrics were dyed with purple.
der Purpur
purple robes / dignity
Elevated: a purple-colored robe as a sign of the dignity of a ruler or cardinal; also the dignity itself.
EXAMPLE
Der Kaiser erschien in Purpur gekleidet vor seinem Hofstaat.
The emperor appeared before his court dressed in purple.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Purpur, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | masculine der |
|---|---|
| genitive | des Purpurs |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | der Purpur | – |
| accusative | den Purpur | – |
| dative | dem Purpur | – |
| genitive | des Purpurs | – |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Context clue
The intended meaning can often be recognized from the context: in descriptions of nature and colors, ‘der Purpur’ (purple) refers to a color; when discussing fabrics and dyeing, it refers to a dye; and in connection with rulers or cardinals, it refers to a robe or dignity.
EXAMPLE
Der Purpur der Wand wirkte im warmen Licht besonders intensiv.
The purple of the wall looked particularly intense in the warm light.
Der Purpur wurde aus einem seltenen natürlichen Rohstoff gewonnen.
The purple dye was obtained from a rare natural raw material.
Mit dem Purpur zeigte der Herrscher seinen hohen Rang.
With the purple robes, the ruler displayed his high rank.
Typical collocations
For the meaning of a dye, verbs such as ‘gewinnen’ (to obtain), ‘herstellen’ (to produce), and ‘verwenden’ (to use) are often used with ‘der Purpur’ (purple dye). Typical contexts also include fabrics, dyeing, and antiquity.
EXAMPLE
Die Handwerker verwendeten den Purpur, um Seide dauerhaft zu färben.
The artisans used the purple dye to color the silk permanently.
Elevated usage
In the meaning of a ruler’s or church official’s dignity, ‘der Purpur’ (the purple robes / dignity) occurs mainly in historical, religious, and literary texts. Common expressions include ‘in Purpur gekleidet’ (dressed in purple) and ‘den Purpur tragen’ (to wear the purple).
EXAMPLE
Der Kardinal trug den Purpur bei der feierlichen Zeremonie.
The cardinal wore the purple robes at the solemn ceremony.
In real life
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