die Seele
soul
The immaterial, feeling, and thinking part of a person that makes up their personality and innermost self.
EXAMPLE
Gute Musik ist Balsam für die Seele.
Good music is balm for the soul.
die Seele
soul
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Meanings
die Seele
soul
Refers to a person who is of central, positive importance to a group or place.
EXAMPLE
Oma war die gute Seele der ganzen Familie.
Grandma was the good soul of the whole family.
die Seele
soul
An old-fashioned or literary term for a person or inhabitant.
EXAMPLE
Das kleine Dorf hat nur knapp 200 Seelen.
The small village has barely 200 souls.
die Seele
bore / soundpost
The inner hollow space of certain objects, such as the barrel of a firearm, or the soundpost in a string instrument.
EXAMPLE
Der Büchsenmacher reinigte die Seele des Gewehrs sorgfältig.
The gunsmith carefully cleaned the bore of the rifle.
Usage tips
Fixed expressions
'Die Seele' (the soul) is part of many figurative expressions. The phrase 'sich etwas von der Seele reden' means to talk about something burdensome in order to feel relieved.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem langen Gespräch mit seiner Freundin hatte er das Gefühl, sich alles von der Seele geredet zu haben.
After the long conversation with his girlfriend, he felt that he had gotten everything off his chest.
With body and soul
The idiom 'mit Leib und Seele' means that someone does something with complete dedication and passion. It describes very intense involvement.
EXAMPLE
Sie ist mit Leib und Seele Lehrerin.
She is a teacher with body and soul.
The good soul
The phrase 'die gute Seele' (the good soul) is often used with a genitive construction or the preposition 'von' (of/from) to describe belonging. It refers to a person who is caring and central to a group.
EXAMPLE
Unsere Sekretärin ist die gute Seele des Büros.
Our secretary is the good soul of the office.
Register: old-fashioned
The use of 'Seele' (soul) as a term for an inhabitant is old-fashioned or literary. In modern usage, 'Einwohner' (inhabitant) is used instead. You often find this meaning in historical texts or stories.
EXAMPLE
Das Fischerdorf zählte nur fünfzig Seelen.
The fishing village counted only fifty souls.
Register: technical language
In the meaning 'inner hollow space,' 'Seele' is a technical term. It is used only when talking about specific objects such as firearms or certain musical instruments.
EXAMPLE
Die Seele der Geige überträgt die Schwingungen auf den Korpus.
The soundpost of the violin transmits the vibrations to the body.
Compare with
Seele vs Herz
heart
Both words can refer to a person’s emotional and inner nature. Herz particularly emphasizes feelings such as love as well as moral character, while Seele refers more to the whole spiritual and emotional core of a person. Use Herz for a human emotional nuance and Seele for the more comprehensive innermost self.
Seele
Die Musik berührte seine Seele und ließ ihn lange nachdenklich bleiben.
The music touched his soul and left him thoughtful for a long time.
Herz
Ihr gutes Herz zeigt sich daran, dass sie allen Nachbarn hilft.
Her good heart is evident in the way she helps all her neighbors.
In real life
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