01
die Stimmung
atmosphere
The general atmosphere or emotional climate in a place or within a group of people.
example
Auf dem Festival herrschte eine fantastische Stimmung.
There was a fantastic atmosphere at the festival.
die Stimmung
mood / atmosphere
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word family
'Stimmung' (mood/atmosphere/tuning) comes from the verb 'stimmen' (to be correct; to tune). The basic meaning of 'stimmen' is 'to be correct' or 'to tune an instrument'. All meanings of 'Stimmung' derive from whether the emotional or musical 'setting' is right.
EXAMPLE
Wenn die Chemie zwischen den Leuten stimmt, ist die Stimmung gut.
When the chemistry between people is right, the atmosphere is good.
Atmosphere vs. mood
To distinguish between the general atmosphere and a personal mood, pay attention to the verbs and prepositions. 'Eine Stimmung herrscht' (an atmosphere prevails) describes a place, while 'in einer Stimmung sein' (to be in a mood) describes a person.
EXAMPLE
Auf der Party herrschte eine ausgelassene Stimmung.
There was a lively atmosphere at the party.
Typical verbs
For the atmosphere in a place, fixed verb combinations are often used. Typical ones are 'für gute Stimmung sorgen' (to create a good atmosphere), 'die Stimmung aufhellen' (to brighten the mood), or the expression 'es herrscht eine ... Stimmung' (there is a ... atmosphere).
EXAMPLE
Der DJ sorgte mit seiner Musikauswahl für gute Stimmung.
The DJ created a good atmosphere with his choice of music.
Personal mood
To express a personal mood, the phrase 'in ... Stimmung sein' (to be in a ... mood) is often used. The adjective in between describes the type of mood.
EXAMPLE
Ich bin heute nicht in der Stimmung für einen Witz.
I'm not in the mood for a joke today.
Public opinion
When 'Stimmung' means public opinion, it often appears together with geographic or social groups. Typical phrases are 'die Stimmung im Land' (the mood in the country), 'die Stimmung unter den Wählern' (the mood among voters), or 'die Stimmung kippt' (the mood is shifting).
EXAMPLE
Die Umfrage zeigt, dass die Stimmung in der Bevölkerung langsam kippt.
The survey shows that the mood among the population is slowly shifting.
Context: music
You can always recognize the meaning 'tuning of an instrument' from the context. It is used only in connection with musical instruments such as a piano, guitar, or violin.
EXAMPLE
Die alte Gitarre hält die Stimmung nicht mehr lange.
The old guitar no longer holds its tuning for long.
Compare with
Stimmung vs Meinung
opinion
'die Meinung' and 'die Stimmung' can both express how people feel about a topic. 'die Meinung' means more the personal opinion of an individual person, or also of a group. 'die Stimmung' in this context means more the general mood or attitude of many people, for example among the public or in a company. It is easy to confuse the words because both can have to do with approval or rejection. If you are saying what someone thinks, 'Meinung' fits better. If you are describing what the overall situation in a group is like, 'Stimmung' fits better.
Stimmung
Nach der Besprechung war die Stimmung im Team deutlich besser.
After the meeting, the mood in the team was clearly better.
Meinung
Meine Kollegin hat eine klare Meinung zu der Reiseplanung.
My colleague has a clear opinion about the travel planning.
In real life
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