soap bubble / pipe dream
die Seifenblase, die Seifenblasen
Loading your saved state.
soap bubble
A ball filled with air and made from a very thin layer of soapy water, which bursts easily and often shimmers in different colors.
Das Kind pustete Seifenblasen in die Luft.
The child blew soap bubbles into the air.
pipe dream
Figuratively, a hope, plan, or idea that seems appealing but has no solid basis and can easily turn out to be an illusion.
Sein Versprechen vom schnellen Reichtum erwies sich als Seifenblase.
His promise of getting rich quickly turned out to be a pipe dream.
| gender | feminine die |
|---|---|
| plural | die Seifenblasen |
| genitive | der Seifenblase |
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | die Seifenblase | die Seifenblasen |
| accusative | die Seifenblase | die Seifenblasen |
| dative | der Seifenblase | den Seifenblasen |
| genitive | der Seifenblase | der Seifenblasen |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
'Seifenblase' (soap bubble) is made up of 'Seife' (soap) and 'Blase' (bubble). The word therefore originally describes a bubble made of soapy water; this concrete image also explains its figurative meaning.
Die Kinder ließen viele Seifenblasen über den Balkon schweben.
The children let many soap bubbles float over the balcony.
In its literal meaning, 'Seifenblase' (soap bubble) is often used with verbs such as 'pusten' (to blow), 'machen' (to make), 'platzen' (to burst), and 'schweben' (to float). The phrase 'Seifenblasen pusten' (to blow soap bubbles) is especially common.
Auf dem Spielplatz pustete Lina eine große Seifenblase.
At the playground, Lina blew a large soap bubble.
The figurative meaning can often be recognized when 'Seifenblase' (pipe dream) is connected with words such as 'Hoffnung' (hope), 'Versprechen' (promise), 'Plan' (plan), or 'Traum' (dream). The word then often describes something that initially seems appealing but has no stable foundation.
Die angeblich sichere Geldanlage war am Ende nur eine Seifenblase.
The supposedly safe investment ultimately turned out to be nothing more than a pipe dream.
