tabu
taboo
Not allowed or socially undesirable because it is strongly forbidden or people feel particularly uncomfortable about it.
EXAMPLE
In dieser Familie ist es tabu, über Geld zu sprechen.
In this family, it is taboo to talk about money.
tabu
taboo
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Meanings
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry tabu, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
Comparison
| basic form | tabu |
|---|
Usage tips
Special sentence position
'Tabu' (taboo) typically appears with 'sein' (to be) or 'bleiben' (to remain) and describes the subject. In this usage, it does not take an ending.
EXAMPLE
Persönliche Fragen bleiben bei unseren Treffen tabu.
Personal questions remain taboo at our meetings.
Infinitive with 'zu'
With the pattern 'es ist tabu, … zu …' (it is taboo to …), you can name a prohibited action. The action appears in an infinitive phrase with 'zu'.
EXAMPLE
In unserer Klasse ist es tabu, andere wegen ihrer Kleidung auszulachen.
In our class, it is taboo to make fun of others because of their clothes.
Taboo for someone
Use 'für' (for) with the accusative to indicate which person or group a prohibition applies to. The typical pattern is 'etwas ist für jemanden tabu' (something is taboo for someone).
EXAMPLE
Das Arbeitszimmer ist für die Gäste tabu.
The study is off-limits to guests.
In real life
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