die Sauerei
mess
A colloquial expression for a big mess, dirt, or filth.
EXAMPLE
Wer hat diese ganze Sauerei in der Küche hinterlassen?
Who left this whole mess in the kitchen?
die Sauerei
mess / outrage
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Meanings
die Sauerei
outrage
A colloquial expression for an unfair, indecent, or scandalous action or situation that is felt to be outrageous.
EXAMPLE
Die plötzliche Schließung der Fabrik ist eine riesige Sauerei für die Mitarbeiter.
The sudden closure of the factory is a huge outrage for the employees.
Usage tips
Word formation
The word is made up of 'Sau' (sow/pig) and the ending '-erei'. The ending '-erei' is often used to describe an action or state in a negative, chaotic, or disorderly way.
EXAMPLE
Nach der Party war das ganze Haus eine einzige Sauerei.
After the party, the whole house was one big mess.
Register: colloquial
'Sauerei' is a very strong, colloquial word. Use it only in informal situations and not in formal texts or conversations.
EXAMPLE
Was für eine Sauerei! Jetzt muss ich alles nochmal putzen.
What a mess! Now I have to clean everything all over again.
Typical verbs
When referring to dirt or mess, 'Sauerei' is often combined with the verbs 'machen' (to make), 'hinterlassen' (to leave behind), or 'aufräumen' (to clean up/tidy up).
EXAMPLE
Die Kinder haben mit dem Essen eine riesige Sauerei gemacht.
The children made a huge mess with the food.
Expressing outrage
In the meaning of 'unfaire Handlung' (unfair action), the word is often used as an exclamation of outrage. A typical phrase is: 'Das ist (doch) eine Sauerei!' (That is outrageous!/What an outrage!).
EXAMPLE
Dass wir jetzt mehr arbeiten sollen für das gleiche Geld, ist eine absolute Sauerei.
The fact that we’re now supposed to work more for the same money is an absolute outrage.
Compare with
Sauerei vs Schweinerei
mess / outrage
Sauerei and Schweinerei can both refer to a very big mess or to an outrageous act, and they are often interchangeable. Sauerei is especially suitable as a general colloquial complaint. Schweinerei can emphasize moral outrage or the extent of the mess more strongly, but the distinction is not fixed.
Sauerei
Nach der Feier nennt Mia das klebrige Durcheinander in der Küche eine Sauerei.
After the party, Mia called the sticky mess in the kitchen a real mess.
Schweinerei
Nach der Feier nennt Mia die absichtliche Verschmutzung der Küche eine Schweinerei.
After the party, Mia called the deliberate soiling of the kitchen an outrage.
In real life
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