Zusammengesetzte Wörter:
a | A | A. | a- | a. |
WordReference English-German Dictionary © 2026:
| A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. expr | (Don't risk what you have.) | Lieber den Spatz in der Hand als die Taube auf dem Dach Rdw |
| | | Ein Spatz in der Hand ist besser als eine Taube auf dem Dach Rdw |
| | I'm told I can do better if I keep looking for opportunities, but I'll stay at this job for now; after all, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. |
| a bit adv | UK, informal (a little) | ein wenig Unbest Art n + Pron |
| | | ein bisschen Unbest Art n + Pron |
| | Run around a bit and you'll soon warm up. |
| | Lauf ein wenig rum und dir wird bald wärmer werden. |
| a bit adv | UK, informal (slightly) | ein bisschen Unbest Art n + Pron |
| | | etwas Pron |
| | It's a bit cold in here! |
| | Es ist ein bisschen kalt hier drin! |
| a bit of a mess n | UK, informal (chaotic) | chaotisch Adj |
| | His love life's a bit of a mess. |
| a bit of a mess n | informal (difficult situation) (übertragen) | Zwickmühle Nf |
| | To say that the economy is in a bit of a mess is putting it mildly. |
| a bit of a mess n | informal (place: untidy) | chaotisch Adj |
| | | Chaos Nn |
| | | wüst Adj |
| | (übertragen) | wild Adj |
| | My house is a bit of a mess, but please come in. |
| a bit too adv | informal (overly) | ein bisschen zu Rdw |
| | | etwas zu Rdw |
| | | ein wenig zu Rdw |
| | His hair was a bit too long for me. |
| | She seemed a bit too calm; something must be wrong. |
| a bite to eat n | informal (snack) | ein Happen zu essen Rdw |
| | | Happen Nm |
| | (Anglizismus) | kleiner Snack Adj + Nm |
| a cappella adv | Italian (sing: without instruments) | a capella Adv |
| | | ohne Musik Präp + Nf |
| | | ohne Instrumente Präp + Npl |
| | The piece is usually orchestral but they performed it a cappella. |
| a cappella adj | Italian (singing: no instruments) | a capella Adv |
| | | ohne Musik Präp + Nf |
| | | ohne Instrumente Präp + Npl |
| | Gregorian chant is usually a cappella singing. |
| a certain amount of [sth] n | (modicum, small quantity) | eine gewisse Menge Rdw |
| | You need to use a certain amount of caution when using that product. |
| a certain amount of [sth] n | (specified quantity) | eine bestimmte Menge Rdw |
| a chip off the old block n | informal, figurative (person: like parent) | der Apfel fällt nicht weit vom Stamm Rdw |
| | | ganz der Vater Rdw |
| | He'll be a womanizer just like his father; he's a chip off the old block. |
| a dab hand n | informal (skilled person) (informell) | Profi Nm |
| | (übertragen) | Meister Nm |
| | | Experte, Fachmann Nm |
| | Could you help me roll this pastry? I hear you're a dab hand in the kitchen. |
| a dab hand at [sth] n | informal (person skilled at [sth]) | Profi Nm |
| | | Koryphäe Nf |
| | My sister's coming to put up some shelves for me. She's a dab hand at DIY. |
| a dead man n | figurative, slang (in serious trouble) | toter Mann Adj + Nm |
| | Touch me again and you're a dead man! |
| à deux adv | Gallicism (involving two people) | zwei Adj |
a dime a dozen (US),
ten a penny (UK) adj | figurative, informal (common) (übertragen) | wie Sand am Meer Rdw |
| | | mehr als genug Rdw |
| | | weit verbreitet Adj + V Part Perf |
| | In Hollywood, aspiring young actresses are a dime a dozen. |
| a drop in the bucket n | US, informal, figurative (amount: trivial) | ein Tropfen auf den heißen Stein Rdw |
| | The U.S. needs to redevelop passenger rail; Amtrak funding is just a drop in the bucket. |
| a drop in the bucket n | US, informal, figurative ([sth]: inconsequential) | ein Tropfen auf den heißen Stein Rdw |
a drop in the ocean (UK),
a drop in the bucket (US) n | figurative, informal, UK (amount: trivial) (übertragen) | ein Tropfen auf dem heißen Stein Rdw |
| | The money I give to charity is a drop in the ocean compared to some people. |
| a drop in the ocean n | figurative, informal, UK ([sth], [sb]: inconsequential) (ugs) | keinen Unterschied machen VP |
| | | irrelevant Adj |
| | | bedeutungslos Adj |
| | I am just a drop in the ocean of many dozens of candidates vying for this job. |
| be a far cry from [sth] expr | informal (very different from) | ganz anders als etwas Rdw |
| | | weit von etwas entfernt Rdw |
| | Life in Canada is a far cry from what she's used to in Haiti. |
| a few times adv | (on several occasions) | ein paar Mal Rdw |
| | | manchmal Adv |
| | | ab und zu Rdw |
| | That boy has come over a few times and always behaved himself. |
| a few times adv | (with several repetitions) | ein paar Mal Rdw |
| | | öfter Adv |
| | (formell) | häufig Adv |
| | After you do it a few times it doesn't seem so terrible. |
| a fine mess n | informal (situation: awkward) | eine ganz schöne Bescherung Rdw |
| | | was für ein Debakel Rdw |
| | The lies we told got us into a fine mess when everyone found out the truth. |
| | Now you've done it! Look at the fine mess you've gotten us into. |
| a fish out of water n | figurative ([sb] in unfamiliar place, situation) | wie ein Fisch auf dem Trockenen Rdw |
| | | wie im falschen Film Rdw |
| | Although a fantastic football player, he was a fish out of water on the golf course. |
| a fortiori adv | Latin (argument: stronger reason) | umso mehr Konj + Adv |
| | | erst recht Konj + Adv |
| | (Fachbegr, Rechtsw) | a fortiori Rdw |
| A friend in need is a friend indeed. expr | ([sb] who helps is real friend) | Freunde erkennt man in der Not Rdw |
| | When I was sick you certainly proved the old saying, "A friend in need is a friend indeed." |
a great deal,
a good deal n | (bargain) | ein günstiges Angebot Rdw |
| | (Slang, Anglizismus) | ein guter Deal Rdw |
| | I chose the car because it was reliable and a great deal. |
| | Ich habe mich für das Auto entschieden, da es zuverlässig ist und es ein günstiges Angebot war. |
a great deal,
a good deal n | (much, large amount) | eine Menge Unbest Art, f + Nf |
| | I have a great deal to accomplish before the end of the semester. |
| | Ich muss vor Semesterende noch eine Menge schaffen. |
a great deal of [sth],
a good deal of [sth] expr | (large amount of [sth]) | jede Menge etwas Pron + Nf |
| | Her presidential campaign had a great deal of success at the local level. |
| | Ihre Kampagne zur Präsidentschaftswahl hatte eine Menge Erfolg auf der lokalen Ebene. |
a great deal,
a good deal adv | (greatly, very much) (umgangssprachlich) | wirklich, echt Adv |
| | | sehr Adv |
| | I value your input a great deal. |
| | Ich schätze deinen Beitrag wirklich (or: echt). |
a great deal,
a good deal adv | (considerably) | deutlich Adj |
| | | ein ganzes Stück Rdw |
| | I'm feeling a great deal better since I ate some soup. |
| | Seit ich etwas Suppe gegessen habe, fühle ich mich deutlich besser. |
a great deal of effort,
a good deal of effort n | (a lot of work) | viel Arbeit Adj + Nf |
| | | eine Menge Arbeit Rdw |
| | | viel Mühen Adj + Npl |
| | I put a great deal of effort into this project, and I was really offended when management ignored it. |
| a great time n | informal (fun, enjoyment) | Spaß Nm |
| | Thanks so much for inviting me; I had a great time! |
| a job well done n | (task that is performed well) | gute Arbeit Adj + Nf |
| | | gute Leistung Adj + Nf |
| | Congratulations on a job well done! |
a la,
à la adv | Gallicism (in the style of) | a la Adv |
| | | so wie Adv + Adv |
| | | im Stile von Rdw |
| | He swears a lot when he's angry, a la Gordon Ramsay. |
| | Er flucht viel wenn er sauer ist, a la Gordon Ramsay. |
a la mode,
à la mode adj | Gallicism (fashionable, in fashion) (Anglizismus, Slang) | in Adj |
| | | modern Adj |
| | | angesagt Adj |
| | | modisch Adj |
| | Animal print is very a la mode right now. |
| | Animalprint ist derzeit echt in. |
a la mode,
à la mode,
alamode adj | US, Gallicism (with ice cream) | mit Eis Präp + Nn |
| | I ordered a piece of pie a la mode. |
| | Ich bestellte ein Stück Kuchen mit Eis. |
| a leopard cannot change its spots expr | (people cannot change radically) | Man kann nicht über seinen eigenen Schatten springen Rdw |
| A level n | UK, often plural (Advanced level: exam) | Abiturprüfung Nf |
| | (vage) | Abschlussprüfung Nf |
| | Graham failed all his A levels so was unable to get into university. |
| | Graham hat seine Abiturprüfung nicht bestanden, weshalb er nicht an der Universität aufgenommen wurde. |
| A level n | UK, usually plural (pass in Advanced level exam) | bestandene Prüfung V Part Perf + Nf |
| | Sue left school with three A levels. |
| a little adj | (small amount) | ein bisschen Unbest Art, n + Pron |
| | | ein wenig Unbest Art, n + Pron |
| | I just want a little salt on my potatoes. |
| | Ich will nur ein bisschen Salz auf meinen Kartoffeln. |
| a little adv | (slightly) | ein bisschen Unbest Art, n + Pron |
| | | ein wenig Unbest Art, n + Pron |
| | | etwas Adv |
| | She was a little angry with me. |
| | The doctor says your blood pressure is a little high. |
| | Sie war ein bisschen sauer auf mich. // Der Arzt sagt dein Blutdruck ist ein bisschen hoch. |
| a little adv | (slightly) | ein bisschen Unbest Art, n + Pron |
| | | etwas Adv |
| | | ein wenig Unbest Art, n + Adj |
| | I am a little drunk, but in no way incapacitated. |
| | Ich bin ein bisschen angetrunken, aber auf keinen Fall lahmgelegt. |
| a little n | (a small amount) | ein kleines Stückchen, ein kleines Stück Rdw |
| | Chocolate? I'll just have a little. |
| | Schokolade? Ich möchte nur ein kleines Stückchen (or: Stück). |
| a little n | (short time) | gleich Adv |
| | | in Kürze Präp + Nf |
| | | bald Adv |
| | I'll be there in a little. |
| | Ich bin gleich da. |
| a little bit n | informal (small amount) | ein bisschen Unbest Art, m + Pron |
| | | etwas Pron |
| | (Slang) | ein Ticken Unbest Art, m + Nm |
| | There wasn't enough salt in the soup so I added a little bit. Could I please have a little bit of cheese? |
| | In der Suppe war nicht genug Salz, also fügte ich ein bisschen hinzu. |
| | Könnte ich bitte ein bisschen Käse haben? |
| a little bit adv | informal (slightly) | ein bisschen Unbest Art, m + Pron |
| | | ein wenig Unbest Art, m + Adj |
| | | etwas Pron |
| | I'm just a little bit dizzy. It was a little bit cheeky of me to ask … but I asked anyway. |
| | Mir ist nur ein bisschen schwindelig. |
| | Es war ein wenig frech von mir zu fragen....aber ich habe trotzdem gefragt. |
| a little more n | (a small additional quantity) | ein bisschen mehr Rdw |
| | | ein wenig mehr Rdw |
| | I already added salt to the potatoes, but I think they could use a little more. |
| a little more adj | (slightly more) | ein bisschen mehr Rdw |
| | | etwas mehr Adv + Adj |
| | May I have a little more tea, please? |
| a little more adv | (for a short while longer) | ein bisschen länger Rdw |
| | | etwas länger Adv + Adj |
| | The girl asked her mother if she could continue playing outside a little more. |
| a little more adv | (slightly more often) | ein bisschen mehr Rdw |
| | (formell) | ein bisschen häufiger Rdw |
| | (formell) | ein bisschen öfter Rdw |
| | You need to exercise a little more if you want to get fit. |
| a little thing n | informal ([sth] trivial) | Kleinigkeit Nf |
| | (gehoben) | Lapalie Nf |
| | I know it's just a little thing, but I find the constant tapping of your foot annoying. |
| a load of n | informal (great quantity) | eine Menge von Rdw |
| | I'll cook up a load of chicken legs and we can take them on our picnic. |
| a load n | informal (great quantity) (ugs) | eine Menge Unbest Art, f + Nf |
| | | sehr viel Adv + Adj |
| | | einiges Pron |
| | Jess has taught me a load about computer coding. |
| a long time adv | (a considerable period) (ugs) | lange her Adj + Adv |
| | | eine lange Zeit Rdw |
| | | viel Zeit Adj + Nf |
| | It's a long time since we last met. |
| | Es ist lange her seit wir uns das letzte Mal getroffen haben. |
| a long time ago adv | (in the distant past) | vor langer Zeit Rdw |
| | | lange her Adj + Adv |
| | A long time ago, my ancestors settled in this land. |
| a long way down adv | (far below) | weit unten Adj + Adj |
| | | ein langer Weg Rdw |
| | | weit weg Adj + Adj |
| | It's a long way down from the top of the cliff. |
| a long way down prep | (a significant distance along) | weit hinab Adj + Adj |
| | | tief Adj |
| | | tief hinab Adj + Adj |
| | The climber fell a long way down the mountain, but luckily landed in deep snow. |
| a long way off adv | (in the distance) | in der Ferne Rdw |
| | | da/dort hinten Adv + Präp |
| | A long way off, you could just see the lights from a distant village. |
| a long way off adv | (distant, far away) | weit entfernt Adv + V Part Perf |
| | (formell) | abgelegen Adj |
| | | weg vom Schuss Rdw |
| | (Slang, vulgär) | am Arsch der Welt Rdw |
| | Those birds are swimming a long way off shore, so you'll need a telescope to see them. |
| a long way off adv | US, colloquial (in the distant future) (ugs) | weit weg Adv + Adj |
| | (formell) | weit entfernt Adv + V Part Perf |
| | My sixtieth birthday is still a long way off. |
| a long way to go expr | (much effort still needed) | einen langen Weg vor sich haben Rdw |
| | Brad did well on the quiz, but he has a long way to go before he passes the class. |
| a long while n | (considerable period of time) | lange her Adj + Adv |
| | | seit langer Zeit Rdw |
| | It's been a long while since I played golf. |
| a lot more n | (greater amount) | viel mehr Adv + Adj |
| | A banker makes a lot more than a teacher. |
| a lot more n | (greater number) | viel mehr Adv + Adj |
| | | eine höhere Anzahl Rdw |
| | A few hundred is a lot more than a couple dozen. |
| a lot more adj | (in greater amount) | viel mehr Adv + Adj |
| | I need a lot more flour to make this dough. |
| a lot more adj | (in greater number) | viel mehr Adv + Adj |
| | | immer mehr Adv + Adj |
| | A lot more people are taking up cycling these days. |
| a lot more adv | (to greater degree) | viel mehr Adj + Adv |
| | | viel weiter Adj + Adv |
| | Your foot bends a lot more when you run. |
| a lot of fun n | informal ([sth] very entertaining) | viel Spaß Adj + Nm |
| | Thank you for inviting me to your party. I had a lot of fun. |
| a lucky find n | informal (a fortunate discovery) | glücklicher Fund Adj + Nm |
| | | Glücksgriff Nm |
| | (gehoben) | Trouvaille Nf |
| a matter of time n | ([sth] which will happen eventually) | eine Frage der Zeit Rdw |
| | They've been dating for 5 years, so it's only a matter of time before he proposes. |
| A Midsummer Night's Dream n | (title of comedic play) | Ein Sommernachtstraum Unbest Art, m + Nm |
| Anmerkung: Comedy by English playwright and poet William Shakespeare (1564-1616). |
a millstone around your neck (US),
a millstone round your neck (UK) expr | figurative (burden: mental or emotional) | ein Päckchen zu tragen Rdw |
| a mite adv | informal (slightly) | etwas Pron |
| | | ein bisschen Pron |
| | Aren't you a mite too old to be watching cartoons? |
| | Bist du nicht etwas zu alt für Zeichentrickfilme? |
| | Bist du nicht ein bisschen zu alt für Zeichentrickfilme? |
| a nice little earner n | UK, slang ([sth] which generates income) (informell) | netter Verdienst Adj + Nm |
| | I'm setting up a website to sell my photos; it should be a nice little earner. |
| a night out on the town n | (evening at bar, party) | ausgehen Vi, sepa |
| | (informell) | weggehen Vi, sepa |
| | | feiern gehen Vi |
| | After I got my promotion, my friends and I went for a night out on the town to celebrate. |
| a number of npl | (some, several) | eine Vielzahl von |
| | | eine Anzahl an |
| | | oft Adv |
| | He has broken the rules a number of times. |
| | New: Vor dem Laden steht eine Vielzahl von Leuten, die für das neue Telefon anstehen. |
| | Er hat oft die Regeln gebrochen. |
| a piece n | UK, regional (a distance, a way) | ein Stück Nn |
| | The farm is down the road a piece. |
| | Die Farm ist ein Stück die Straße runter. |
| a piece of cake n | figurative, informal ([sth] easy to do) | Kinderspiel Nn |
| | | kinderleicht Adj |
| | The new software installation was a piece of cake, no problems! |
a piece of work,
a real piece of work n | US, figurative, informal (unusual character, individual) (ugs, übertragen) | fieser Typ Adj + Nm |
| | (literarisch) | zwiespältige Gestalt Adj + Nf |
a piece of work,
a real piece of work,
also UK: a nasty piece of work n | figurative, informal (unpleasant, difficult person) | anstrengend Adj |
| | | schwierig Adj |
| | Tommy's a real piece of work; I heard he blamed his mistake on the boss. |
| | That woman is a nasty piece of work; she's been making her neighbours' lives hell for years. |
| a posteriori adv | (law, logic: from experience) | aus Erfahrung Präp + Nf |
| | (Fachgebr, Rechtsw) | a posteriori Rdw |
| | The philosopher came to his conclusion a posteriori. |
| a posteriori adj | (law, logic: from experience) | aus Erfahrung Präp + Nf |
| | (Fachgebr, Rechtsw) | a posteriori Rdw |
| | A posteriori knowledge relies on experience or evidence. |
| a priori adv | (by deduction) | a priori |
| | | durch Schlussfolgerung Präp + Nf |
| | Tim came to this conclusion a priori, rather than from experience. |
| | Tim kam eher durch Schlussfolgerung als durch Erfahrung zu seinem Entschluss. |
| a priori adj | (hypothetical, deductive) | hypothetisch Adj |
| | | deduktiv Adj |
| | Mathematical principles are a priori. |
| | Mathematische Grundlagen sind hypothetisch. |
| a quarter past expr | (time: fifteen minutes after) | Viertel nach Nn + Präp |
| | | viertel nach Adj + Präp |
| | He arrived at a quarter past nine. |
a quarter till [sth],
a quarter 'til [sth] (US),
a quarter to [sth],
quarter to [sth] (UK) expr | (15 minutes before the hour) | Viertel vor Nn + Präp |
| | | viertel vor Adj + Präp |
| | (süddeutsch) | dreiviertel Adj |
| | I'll meet you at a quarter till one... in the afternoon, of course. |
a quarter till,
a quarter 'til (US),
a quarter to,
quarter to (UK) expr | informal (15 minutes before the hour) | viertel vor Adj + Präp |
| | (regional) | drei viertel Zahlwort + Adj |
| a quarter to expr | (time: fifteen minutes before) | Viertel vor Nn + Präp |
| | | viertel vor Adj + Präp |
| | (süddeutsch) | dreiviertel Adj |
| | It's almost a quarter to five; we're running late. |
A road,
A-road n | (main traffic route) (Verkehr, ugs) | Hauptstraße Nf |
| | (Verkehr, formell) | Hauptverkehrsstraße Nf |
| | A motorist was caught doing almost double the 70-mph limit on an A road in Worcestershire. |
| a shell n | figurative (weakened person) | ein Schatten seiner selbst Rdw |
| | He is just a shell of his former self. |
| | Er ist nur noch ein Schatten seiner selbst. |
a smidgen,
a smidgin,
a smidgeon n | (tiny amount) | ein bisschen Unbest Art, n + Pron |
| | | ein wenig Unbest Art, n + Adj |
| | If you're asking about the cake, I want just a smidgen. |
a smidgen,
a smidgin of [sth],
a smidgeon of [sth] n | (tiny amount of [sth]) | ein Hauch Unbest Art, m + Nm |
| | She added a smidgen of cinnamon to the pie. |