der Riese
giant
A legendary or fairy-tale figure of extraordinary size and great strength.
EXAMPLE
Der Riese bewachte den Eingang zur Höhle.
The giant guarded the entrance to the cave.
der Riese
giant / grand
der Riese, die Riesen
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Meanings
der Riese
giant
An unusually tall person.
EXAMPLE
Der Riese musste sich unter dem niedrigen Türrahmen bücken.
The giant had to duck under the low doorframe.
der Riese
giant
A person, company, or other entity that is particularly important, powerful, or successful in a field.
EXAMPLE
Der Konzern gehört zu den Riesen der Lebensmittelbranche.
The corporation is one of the giants of the food industry.
der Riese
grand
In slang, 'Riese' (grand) means a thousand euros; it used to mean a thousand German marks as well.
EXAMPLE
Für das gebrauchte Auto hat er fünf Riesen bezahlt.
He paid five grand for the used car.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Riese, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance (der)
| gender | masculine der |
|---|---|
| plural | die Riesen |
| genitive | des Riesen |
The four cases (der)
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | der Riese | die Riesen |
| accusative | den Riesen | die Riesen |
| dative | dem Riesen | den Riesen |
| genitive | des Riesen | der Riesen |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
At a glance (die)
| gender | feminine die |
|---|---|
| plural | die Riesen |
| genitive | der Riese |
The four cases (die)
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | die Riese | die Riesen |
| accusative | die Riese | die Riesen |
| dative | der Riese | den Riesen |
| genitive | der Riese | der Riesen |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Word family
'Riese' (giant) belongs to the same word family as 'riesig' (huge). The adjective 'riesig' describes something extraordinarily large, making the basic idea behind the noun particularly easy to recognize.
EXAMPLE
Der Riese war so groß, dass sein Schatten den ganzen Weg bedeckte.
The giant was so tall that his shadow covered the entire path.
Context clues
Typical context clues help you identify the intended meaning: fairy-tale or legendary motifs point to a mythical figure, references to height indicate a tall person, and words from business or research suggest a particularly powerful entity.
EXAMPLE
Im Märchen kämpfte der Riese gegen einen mutigen Ritter.
In the fairy tale, the giant fought a brave knight.
Mit seinen zwei Metern ist mein Bruder ein echter Riese.
At two meters tall, my brother is a real giant.
Der Riese der Branche eröffnete eine neue Forschungsabteilung.
The industry giant opened a new research department.
Compound words
In its figurative sense, 'Riese' (giant) appears especially often in compounds that name an industry: 'Branchenriese' (industry giant), 'Internetriese' (internet giant), 'Pharmariese' (pharmaceutical giant), or 'Handelsriese' (retail giant). These usually refer to a very large and powerful company.
EXAMPLE
Der Internetriese hat in Brandenburg ein neues Rechenzentrum eröffnet.
The internet giant opened a new data center in Brandenburg.
In real life
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