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das Weib
woman
An outdated term for a woman that today is usually used in a derogatory or crude way.
example
Er beschimpfte sie als „neugieriges Weib“.
He insulted her as a “nosy woman.”
das Weib
woman / female
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word family
The word 'Weib' is the root of the very common modern adjective 'weiblich' (female). While 'das Weib' is often negative, 'weiblich' is a neutral term.
EXAMPLE
Die weiblichen Charaktere im Film waren sehr stark dargestellt.
The female characters in the film were portrayed as very strong.
Neuter gender
Although it refers to a woman, 'Weib' has the neuter article 'das'. This is a remnant from a time when the word was neutral. Today, this neuter article can intensify the derogatory or detached effect.
EXAMPLE
Früher war „das Weib“ ein normales Wort, heute klingt es respektlos.
In the past, 'das Weib' was a normal word; today it sounds disrespectful.
Register: derogatory
In modern everyday language, 'Weib' is a coarse and usually derogatory term for a woman. You should avoid it if you want to speak respectfully about a person.
EXAMPLE
Er nannte sie im Streit ein „hinterhältiges Weib“.
During the argument, he called her a “deceitful woman.”
Context clue: biology
When referring to animals, 'Weib' is a neutral technical term for a female animal. You can recognize this meaning from the fact that an animal species is mentioned in the sentence.
EXAMPLE
Das Weibchen des Löwen, also das Löwen-Weib, kümmert sich um die Jungen.
The lioness, that is, the female lion, takes care of the young.
Context clue: history
In fairy tales, historical novels, or old texts, 'Weib' often simply means 'Ehefrau' (wife) or 'Frau' (woman) without a negative connotation. The context makes it clear here that it is an outdated form of language.
EXAMPLE
In der Bibelgeschichte verlor der Mann Weib und Kinder.
In the Bible story, the man lost his wife and children.
Compare with
Weib vs Mann
man
'der Mann' and 'das Weib' can be understood as opposites between a male and a female person. In modern German, however, they are not equally natural. 'der Mann' is a normal, neutral word for an adult male person. For people, 'das Weib' is outdated and today usually sounds derogatory or crude. In normal everyday speech, you therefore say 'die Frau', not 'das Weib'. You are more likely to encounter 'das Weib' in old texts or when someone is deliberately speaking crudely.
Weib
In dem alten Märchen wird eine Frau mit dem Wort Weib beschrieben.
In the old fairy tale, a woman is described with the word Weib.
Mann
Vor dem Eingang wartet ein Mann mit einem roten Rucksack.
A man with a red backpack is waiting in front of the entrance.
In real life
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