tropisch
tropical
Relates to the tropics, the hot and humid region of the Earth around the equator.
EXAMPLE
Im botanischen Garten kann man viele tropische Pflanzen bewundern.
In the botanical garden, you can admire many tropical plants.
tropisch
tropical
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
tropisch
tropical
Describes, in a figurative sense, very intense, often muggy heat.
EXAMPLE
Im Sommer herrschten in der Stadt tropische Temperaturen.
In summer, tropical temperatures prevailed in the city.
Usage tips
Word structure
The adjective 'tropisch' (tropical) is derived from the noun 'die Tropen' (the tropics, always plural) and is formed with the suffix '-isch'. It describes things that come from the tropics or are typical of this region.
EXAMPLE
Malaria ist eine typische tropische Krankheit.
Malaria is a typical tropical disease.
Typical collocations
In its literal meaning, 'tropisch' (tropical) is often combined with terms from geography and biology. Common combinations are 'tropischer Regenwald' (tropical rainforest), 'tropische Früchte' (tropical fruits), or 'tropische Fische' (tropical fish).
EXAMPLE
Im Supermarkt gibt es eine große Auswahl an tropischen Früchten.
There is a large selection of tropical fruits at the supermarket.
Figurative meaning
The figurative meaning 'very hot' is used almost exclusively in connection with 'Hitze' (heat) or 'Temperaturen' (temperatures). This is a clear signal that the topic is the weather and not the geographical region.
EXAMPLE
Letzte Woche hatten wir eine tropische Hitze in der ganzen Region.
Last week we had tropical heat throughout the whole region.
Compare with
tropisch vs exotisch
exotic
Tropisch and exotisch can both be used for plants, fruits, or travel destinations from warm, distant regions. Tropisch refers to the geographical or climatic origin, while exotisch emphasizes that something seems foreign, unusual, or appealing to the person viewing it. Use tropisch for the region and exotisch for the personal impression.
tropisch
Die Ananas ist eine tropische Frucht aus einer warmen Region.
The pineapple is a tropical fruit from a warm region.
exotisch
Die Ananas wirkte auf dem kleinen Markt für uns sehr exotisch.
The pineapple seemed very exotic to us at the small market.
In real life
Loading video examples...