magic word
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magic word
A word or formula that is believed to have magical power in fairy tales or magic.
Mit dem Zauberwort „Sesam, öffne dich!“ öffnete sich das Tor zur Höhle.
With the magic words 'Open sesame!', the gate to the cave opened.
The word is made up of 'der Zauber' (magic) and 'das Wort' (word). So it is literally a 'magic word'.
Der Magier sprach das geheime Zauberwort.
The magician spoke the secret magic word.
You distinguish between the literal and the figurative meaning. In the context of fairy tales and magic, it refers to a real magical word. In everyday life, it describes a word that solves a social problem.
Im Märchen öffnet das richtige Zauberwort eine geheime Tür.
In the fairy tale, the right magic word opens a secret door.
In the figurative meaning, simple polite words such as 'Bitte' (please), 'Danke' (thank you), or 'Entschuldigung' (sorry/excuse me) are often meant. They work like magic because they make social situations easier.
Meine Mutter hat mir beigebracht, dass „Danke“ ein Zauberwort ist.
My mother taught me that 'thank you' is a magic word.
password
'Passwort' and 'Zauberwort' can both mean an important word that makes something open or helps something succeed more easily. But the difference is big. A 'Passwort' is a secret string of characters for an account, a device, or a system. It mainly belongs to security and login contexts. A 'Zauberwort' can be truly magical in fairy tales. In everyday life, it often figuratively means a word that has a big effect in a situation, for example 'bitte' (please) or 'danke' (thank you). Learners may confuse the words because both act like a special key. But for computers and accounts, you say 'Passwort', not 'Zauberwort'.
Bei der Lehrerin ist „bitte“ oft das Zauberwort, wenn du Hilfe bekommen möchtest.
With the teacher, 'please' is often the magic word when you want to get help.
Meine Nachbarin hat ihr Passwort geändert, weil sie ihr Konto besser schützen will.
My neighbor changed her password because she wants to protect her account better.