01
spanisch
Spanish
Relating to Spain, its inhabitants, its culture, or its language.
example
Wir haben gestern Abend leckere spanische Tapas gegessen.
We ate delicious Spanish tapas yesterday evening.
spanisch
Spanish
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word formation
The adjective 'spanisch' (Spanish) is derived from the country name 'Spanien' (Spain). The ending '-isch' is a typical ending for adjectives that indicate origin or language.
EXAMPLE
Die italienische und die spanische Küche haben einige Ähnlichkeiten.
Italian and Spanish cuisine have some similarities.
Capitalization
As an adjective, 'spanisch' (Spanish) is written with a lowercase letter in German. But when referring to the language as a noun, it is capitalized: 'Spanisch' (Spanish).
EXAMPLE
Ich lerne gerade Spanisch.
I'm learning Spanish right now.
Fixed expression
The idiom 'Das kommt mir spanisch vor' (That seems fishy to me) has a fixed structure. The person to whom something seems strange is always in the dative.
EXAMPLE
Er war plötzlich so freundlich. Das kam mir sofort spanisch vor.
He was suddenly so friendly. That immediately seemed fishy to me.
Compare with
spanisch vs komisch
funny / strange
'komisch' and 'spanisch' can both express that something seems strange or hard to understand. 'komisch' is the normal, direct adjective and fits many everyday situations: 'eine komische Nachricht' (a strange message), 'ein komisches Geräusch' (a strange noise), 'ein komisches Gefühl' (a strange feeling). 'spanisch' has this meaning only in the fixed expression 'Das kommt mir spanisch vor' (that seems fishy to me). This expression sounds a little more figurative and can also mean that you find something suspicious. Important: outside this expression, 'spanisch' normally means something related to Spain.
spanisch
Die Erklärung des Verkäufers kam meiner Kollegin spanisch vor.
My colleague found the seller's explanation fishy.
komisch
Heute macht das Auto ein komisches Geräusch.
Today the car is making a strange noise.
In real life
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