der Schläfer
sleeper
A person who is currently sleeping or has a particular way of sleeping.
EXAMPLE
Sie ist ein leichter Schläfer und wacht beim kleinsten Geräusch auf.
She is a light sleeper and wakes up at the slightest noise.
der Schläfer
sleeper
der Schläfer, die Schläfer
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Meanings
der Schläfer
sleeper
A member of a terrorist organization or an agent who lives inconspicuously for an extended period and only becomes active when instructed to do so.
EXAMPLE
Der Geheimdienst vermutet, dass die Terrororganisation weitere Schläfer im Land hat.
The intelligence service suspects that the terrorist organization has more sleepers in the country.
der Schläfer
dormouse
A small rodent from the dormouse family, which includes animals such as the fat dormouse and hazel dormouse. These animals are usually active at night and hibernate for a long time in colder regions.
EXAMPLE
Die Haselmaus gehört zur Familie der Schläfer.
The hazel dormouse belongs to the dormouse family.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Schläfer, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | masculine der |
|---|---|
| plural | die Schläfer |
| genitive | des Schläfers |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | der Schläfer | die Schläfer |
| accusative | den Schläfer | die Schläfer |
| dative | dem Schläfer | den Schläfern |
| genitive | des Schläfers | der Schläfer |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Word formation
'Schläfer' (sleeper) belongs to the word family of 'schlafen' (to sleep) and literally refers to someone or something that sleeps. The ending '-er' forms a term for someone or something that carries out an activity or has a particular property.
EXAMPLE
Der Schläfer reagierte auch auf laute Geräusche nicht.
The sleeper did not react even to loud noises.
Typical collocations
When referring to the way a person sleeps, common expressions include 'leichter Schläfer' (light sleeper), 'tiefer Schläfer' (heavy sleeper), and 'unruhiger Schläfer' (restless sleeper). The adjective describes how easily someone wakes up or how peacefully they sleep.
EXAMPLE
Mein Bruder ist ein tiefer Schläfer und hört den Wecker oft nicht.
My brother is a heavy sleeper and often doesn't hear the alarm clock.
Security terminology
In this meaning, 'Schläfer' (sleeper) frequently appears in political and security related texts. Signal words such as 'Geheimdienst' (intelligence service), 'Organisation' (organization), 'Anweisung' (instruction), or 'Anschlag' (attack) show that a person living inconspicuously is meant.
EXAMPLE
Die Ermittler prüfen, ob der Verdächtige als Schläfer für eine extremistische Organisation tätig war.
The investigators are checking whether the suspect worked as a sleeper for an extremist organization.
Biological context
In biological texts, 'Schläfer' (dormouse) refers to a group of small rodents. Words such as 'Bilch' (dormouse), 'Haselmaus' (hazel dormouse), 'nachtaktiv' (nocturnal), and 'Winterschlaf' (hibernation) point to this animal meaning.
EXAMPLE
Viele Schläfer verbringen die kalte Jahreszeit in einem langen Winterschlaf.
Many dormice spend the cold season in a long hibernation.
In real life
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