sphinx
die Sphinx, die Sphinxe
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sphinx
A mythical creature from mythology, usually with the body of a lion and the head of a human. The best-known one is the Great Sphinx of Giza in Egypt.
Touristen aus aller Welt bewundern die majestätische Sphinx in der ägyptischen Wüste.
Tourists from all over the world admire the majestic Sphinx in the Egyptian desert.
sphinx
A mysterious, inscrutable person whose intentions or feelings are hard to recognize.
Wegen seiner schweigsamen und geheimnisvollen Art nannten ihn seine Kollegen die Sphinx.
Because of his quiet and mysterious manner, his colleagues called him the Sphinx.
| gender | feminine die |
|---|---|
| plural | die Sphinxe |
| genitive | der Sphinx |
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | die Sphinx | die Sphinxe die Sphingen |
| accusative | die Sphinx | die Sphinxe die Sphingen |
| dative | der Sphinx | den Sphinxen den Sphingen |
| genitive | der Sphinx | der Sphinxe der Sphingen |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
The figurative meaning of a mysterious person derives from the 'Rätsel der Sphinx' (riddle of the Sphinx) in Greek mythology. The Sphinx posed a riddle to travelers and killed those who could not solve it. Therefore, it symbolically represents what is mysterious and inscrutable.
Nur Ödipus konnte das berühmte Rätsel der Sphinx lösen.
Only Oedipus could solve the famous riddle of the Sphinx.
The meaning 'rätselhafte Person' (mysterious person) is a metaphor. You can recognize it from the fact that someone is talking about a person. The literal meaning, by contrast, refers to mythology, art history, or archaeology.
Mein neuer Chef ist eine echte Sphinx, niemand weiß, was er denkt.
My new boss is a real sphinx; no one knows what he is thinking.
When a person is described as a 'Sphinx' (sphinx), it is a figurative description. The quality is often reinforced with adjectives such as 'rätselhaft' (mysterious), 'geheimnisvoll' (secretive/mysterious), or 'undurchschaubar' (inscrutable).
Sie gab keine Antwort und blickte uns nur an wie eine rätselhafte Sphinx.
She gave no answer and just looked at us like a mysterious sphinx.
