trocken
dry
Free of water or another liquid; not wet or damp.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem Regen war die Straße schnell wieder trocken.
After the rain, the street was quickly dry again.
trocken
dry
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Meanings
trocken
dry
For alcoholic drinks, especially wine, the term for a taste that is not sweet.
EXAMPLE
Zum Fisch passt am besten ein trockener Weißwein.
A dry white wine goes best with fish.
trocken
dry
A type of humor that is matter-of-fact, understated, and often ironic.
EXAMPLE
Sein trockener Humor kommt nicht bei jedem sofort an, ist aber sehr witzig.
His dry humor doesn't immediately appeal to everyone, but it's very funny.
trocken
dry
Boring, theoretical, and without vivid examples or entertainment value.
EXAMPLE
Die Vorlesung über die Geschichte der Bürokratie war extrem trocken.
The lecture on the history of bureaucracy was extremely dry.
trocken
sober
The characteristic of a person who was alcohol-dependent and no longer drinks alcohol.
EXAMPLE
Er ist seit über zehn Jahren trockener Alkoholiker.
He has been a sober alcoholic for over ten years.
trocken
dry
A cough without the coughing up of mucus.
EXAMPLE
Dieser trockene Reizhusten hält mich die ganze Nacht wach.
This dry, irritating cough is keeping me awake all night.
Usage tips
Word family
The adjective 'trocken' (dry) belongs to a word family with the verb 'trocknen' (to dry; to make something dry) and the noun 'die Trockenheit' (dryness; a state without water).
EXAMPLE
Die Wäsche trocknet in der Sonne sehr schnell.
The laundry dries very quickly in the sun.
Fixed expression
The idiom 'im Trockenen sein' or 'im Trockenen sitzen' means to be protected from the rain. It can also be used metaphorically to mean 'to be safe'.
EXAMPLE
Zum Glück haben wir es noch vor dem Gewitter ins Haus geschafft und sitzen jetzt im Trockenen.
Luckily, we made it into the house before the thunderstorm and are now sitting in the dry.
Context: wine and sparkling wine
The meaning 'nicht süß' (not sweet) is used almost exclusively for alcoholic drinks, especially wine and sparkling wine. The opposite is 'süß' (sweet) or 'lieblich' (medium-sweet).
EXAMPLE
Ich bevorzuge trockenen Rotwein zu einem kräftigen Essen.
I prefer dry red wine with a hearty meal.
Context: humor
In combination with words like 'Humor' (humor), 'Witz' (joke), or 'Bemerkung' (remark), 'trocken' (dry) describes a matter-of-fact, ironic, and not very emotional style.
EXAMPLE
Mit einer trockenen Bemerkung brachte er alle zum Nachdenken.
With a dry remark, he made everyone think.
Context: boring topics
When a topic, book, theory, or lecture is described as 'trocken' (dry), it means the content is very theoretical, abstract, and boring.
EXAMPLE
Der Professor hat es geschafft, das trockene Thema lebendig zu erklären.
The professor managed to explain the dry topic in a lively way.
Specific usage
In the context of alcoholism, 'trocken' (sober/dry) is a fixed term. A 'trockener Alkoholiker' (sober alcoholic) is a person who no longer drinks alcohol.
EXAMPLE
Seit er trocken ist, hat sich sein Leben komplett verändert.
Since he got sober, his life has completely changed.
Medical context
In medicine, 'trocken' (dry) describes a cough without mucus production. People say 'trockener Husten' (dry cough) or 'trockener Reizhusten' (dry, irritating cough).
EXAMPLE
Gegen trockenen Husten hilft oft, viel Tee zu trinken.
Drinking a lot of tea often helps with a dry cough.
Compare with
trocken vs langweilig
boring
A presentation can be boring or dry when it offers little interest or variety. “Langweilig” emphasizes the effect: the audience feels bored. “Trocken” describes the theoretical, less vivid way of presenting the material more strongly. When examples are missing, “trocken” is often the better choice; when suspense is lacking, use “langweilig.”
trocken
Der Vortrag war trocken, weil die Theorie ohne anschauliche Beispiele erklärt wurde.
The presentation was dry because the theory was explained without vivid examples.
langweilig
Der Vortrag war langweilig, weil sich die gleichen Gedanken ständig wiederholten.
The presentation was boring because the same ideas kept being repeated.
In real life
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