01
die Steinzeit
Stone Age
A period of prehistory in which tools and weapons were mainly made of stone.
example
In der Steinzeit lernten die Menschen, Feuer zu machen.
In the Stone Age, people learned to make fire.
die Steinzeit
Stone Age
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Compound word
The word is made up of 'der Stein' (stone) and 'die Zeit' (time/age). It literally describes the 'time of stone,' that is, the period in which stone was the most important material for tools.
EXAMPLE
Im Museum gibt es viele Werkzeuge aus der Steinzeit.
There are many tools from the Stone Age in the museum.
Context clue
You can recognize the literal meaning from a historical context, e.g. archaeology or museums. The figurative meaning always refers to modern topics such as technology or organization and expresses that they are outdated.
EXAMPLE
Dass wir hier kein WLAN haben, ist doch die reinste Steinzeit!
The fact that we don't have Wi-Fi here is pure Stone Age!
Colloquial style
The figurative meaning, which describes something as outdated, is mainly used in colloquial speech. It often has a humorous or critical undertone.
EXAMPLE
Ohne Smartphone fühle ich mich manchmal wie in der Steinzeit.
Without a smartphone, I sometimes feel like I'm in the Stone Age.
Typical expressions
In the figurative meaning, 'Steinzeit' (Stone Age) is often used in fixed expressions. Typical phrases include 'leben wie in der Steinzeit' (to live as if in the Stone Age) or describing something as 'die reinste Steinzeit' (pure Stone Age).
EXAMPLE
In diesem Büro arbeiten wir noch mit Methoden aus der Steinzeit.
In this office, we still work with methods from the Stone Age.
Compare with
Steinzeit vs Mittelalter
Middle Ages
'das Mittelalter' and 'die Steinzeit' both refer to very old periods of history. But they are not the same era. 'die Steinzeit' is much earlier and belongs to prehistory; it especially brings to mind simple tools made of stone. 'das Mittelalter' comes much later, after antiquity, and is often associated with castles, knights, and the church in Europe. The words can be confused because both stand for 'earlier times'. Figuratively, 'Steinzeit' can also mean that something is technologically very outdated; 'Mittelalter' is less suitable for that meaning.
Steinzeit
Ohne Internet fühlt sich das Büro heute fast wie Steinzeit an.
Without internet, the office almost feels like the Stone Age today.
Mittelalter
Im Museum sieht Milan eine Rüstung aus dem Mittelalter.
In the museum, Milan sees a suit of armor from the Middle Ages.
In real life
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