01
Quark
nonsense
Colloquial for nonsense or something worthless and false. Usually used predicatively or as an exclamation.
example
Erzähl doch nicht so einen Quark, das stimmt überhaupt nicht!
Don't tell such nonsense; that's not true at all!
der Quark
nonsense
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Meanings
Usage tips
Origin of the meaning
This word is derived from the food 'der Quark' (quark). The colloquial meaning 'Unsinn' (nonsense) comes from the idea of something soft, shapeless, and therefore worthless.
EXAMPLE
Glaub ihm nicht, er redet nur Quark.
Don't believe him; he's just talking nonsense.
Sentence structure and use
'Quark' is used in this meaning only as an exclamation or predicatively after verbs like 'sein' (to be) or 'reden' (to talk). It never appears as an adjective directly before a noun.
EXAMPLE
Deine Ausrede ist doch Quark!
Your excuse is nonsense!
Typical collocations
Common expressions are 'Quark erzählen' (to tell nonsense), 'Quark reden' (to talk nonsense), or the exclamation 'So ein Quark!' (What nonsense!). They express that you consider something nonsense.
EXAMPLE
Hör auf, so einen Quark zu erzählen und sag die Wahrheit.
Stop telling such nonsense and tell the truth.
Compare with
Quark vs Käse
cheese / nonsense
'Käse' and 'Quark' can both colloquially mean 'nonsense' or 'rubbish'. In this meaning, they are often used when you think a statement is false or worthless. 'Käse' is somewhat broader and can also refer to a bad idea or an annoying thing. 'Quark' often sounds like a direct reaction to something false: 'Das ist Quark!' (That's nonsense!). The words can be confused because both are also names of dairy products and both figuratively stand for nonsense. Context is important: when talking about food, 'Käse' is a food; in sentences like 'Das ist doch Käse' (That's just nonsense), it is meant colloquially.
Quark
Im Gespräch sagt Lisa sofort: „Das ist Quark, so war es nicht.“
In the conversation, Lisa immediately says, “That's nonsense; that's not how it was.”
Käse
Was du über die Prüfung gehört hast, ist doch völliger Käse.
What you heard about the exam is complete nonsense.
In real life
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