der Spross
sprout
A young shoot or bud growing from a plant.
EXAMPLE
Im Frühling sieht man an den Bäumen die ersten grünen Sprosse.
In spring, you can see the first green sprouts on the trees.
der Spross
sprout / offspring
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Meanings
der Spross
offspring
A descendant, especially a child or grandchild of a family. Often used in a slightly elevated or figurative way.
EXAMPLE
Er ist der jüngste Spross einer berühmten Schauspielerfamilie.
He is the youngest offspring of a famous acting family.
Usage tips
Word family
The noun 'der Spross' (sprout/offspring) is closely related to the verb 'sprießen' (to sprout), which means 'to grow out of the ground or a plant.' A Spross is therefore something that sprouts.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem Regen sprießen überall kleine, grüne Sprosse aus der Erde.
After the rain, small green sprouts are sprouting from the ground everywhere.
Context clue
You can easily recognize the meaning from the context. If people are talking about plants, trees, or vegetables, it means the young shoot. If it is about families, noble houses, or dynasties, it means a descendant.
EXAMPLE
Die Bambussprosse sind ein wichtiger Teil der asiatischen Küche.
Bamboo shoots are an important part of Asian cuisine.
Register and style
In the meaning of 'Nachkomme' (descendant), 'Spross' (offspring) is used more in an elevated, slightly literary, or ironic style. It is not a neutral everyday word for 'Kind' (child).
EXAMPLE
Die Zeitung berichtete über den neuesten Spross der königlichen Familie.
The newspaper reported on the newest offspring of the royal family.
Typical collocations
'Spross' (offspring) is often used with a genitive or the preposition 'von' (of/from) to make the origin clear. A very typical combination is 'der jüngste Spross von/einer Familie' (the youngest offspring of a family).
EXAMPLE
Er ist der jüngste Spross einer alten Industriedynastie.
He is the youngest offspring of an old industrial dynasty.
Compare with
Spross vs Nachwuchs
offspring / young talent
Nachwuchs refers to children as the young generation of a family and can encompass several children. Spross usually refers to a single descendant and sounds slightly elevated or figurative. Nachwuchs is appropriate in neutral everyday language, while Spross can be used as an elevated term for a single person.
Spross
Beim Empfang begrüßte man den jungen Spross der Familie.
At the reception, people welcomed the family's young scion.
Nachwuchs
Die Familie freut sich über ihren Nachwuchs.
The family is delighted about their new child.
In real life
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