der Schwarm
swarm
A large group of animals, especially insects, birds, or fish, that move together.
EXAMPLE
Ein riesiger Schwarm Stare verdunkelte für einen Moment den Himmel.
A huge swarm of starlings darkened the sky for a moment.
der Schwarm
swarm / crush
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Meanings
der Schwarm
crush
(Colloquial) A person one is in love with or has romantic feelings for, often secretly.
EXAMPLE
In der siebten Klasse war Thomas mein großer Schwarm.
In seventh grade, Thomas was my big crush.
der Schwarm
swarm / crowd
(Figurative) A large, dense mass of people often moving in the same direction.
EXAMPLE
Ein Schwarm von Touristen drängte sich durch die enge Gasse zum Marktplatz.
A swarm of tourists pushed through the narrow alley toward the marketplace.
Usage tips
Word family
The noun 'der Schwarm' is connected with the verb 'schwärmen'. Birds or bees 'schwärmen aus' (swarm out), and you can also 'für jemanden schwärmen' (to have a crush on someone) when you are in love. This connection explains the different meanings.
EXAMPLE
Als Kind habe ich für einen berühmten Sänger geschwärmt.
As a child, I had a crush on a famous singer.
Typical animal groups
In the animal world, 'Schwarm' is used for certain groups. Typical examples are 'ein Schwarm Fische' (a school of fish), 'ein Schwarm Vögel' (a flock/swarm of birds, especially starlings), 'ein Schwarm Bienen' (a swarm of bees), or 'ein Schwarm Mücken' (a swarm of mosquitoes).
EXAMPLE
Beim Tauchen sahen wir einen bunten Schwarm Fische.
While diving, we saw a colorful school of fish.
Usage pattern
When 'Schwarm' describes a person one is in love with, it is often used with a possessive pronoun (mein, dein, ...) or in the phrase 'einen Schwarm haben für' (to have a crush on). This meaning is colloquial.
EXAMPLE
Sie hat ihrem besten Freund nie erzählt, dass er ihr heimlicher Schwarm war.
She never told her best friend that he was her secret crush.
Figurative meaning
The use of 'Schwarm' for a crowd of people is a metaphor. It describes a large, dense group of people moving like a swarm of animals, often without a clear individual goal.
EXAMPLE
Ein Schwarm von Neugierigen hatte sich an der Unfallstelle versammelt.
A swarm of curious onlookers had gathered at the accident site.
Compare with
Schwarm vs Menge
amount / crowd
Menge neutrally refers to a large group of people. Schwarm can also mean a dense group of people, but presents their shared movement figuratively, as with animals. Menge fits when referring simply to the group; Schwarm may be more appropriate when the group seems to be moving as one.
Schwarm
Nach dem Konzert zog ein Schwarm von Fans zum Bahnhof.
After the concert, a swarm of fans headed toward the train station.
Menge
Nach dem Konzert bewegte sich die Menge zum Bahnhof.
After the concert, the crowd moved toward the train station.
In real life
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