german
german — noun
1. the West Germanic language that people use in Germany, Austria, parts of Switzer
the West Germanic language that people use in Germany, Austria, parts of Switzerland, and in German-speaking communities around the world
Darius is taking German classes at the community college this semester.
collocation: take/taking [language] classes / lessons
The letter was written in German, so Hoa asked a colleague to translate it.
passive: was written in [language]
Many nineteenth-century scientific papers were published in German.
Naoko can speak German fluently because she grew up near Vienna.
The museum guide offered tours in both English and German.
用法筆記
Spoken as a national language by roughly 95 million people across Europe.
常見錯誤
2. a person who was born in Germany, is a citizen of Germany, or has family origins
a person who was born in Germany, is a citizen of Germany, or has family origins there
The orchestra's conductor is a German named Heloísa Schmidt.
countable noun with article: a German
Arjun spent the afternoon with two Germans who showed him around Berlin.
plural form: two Germans
Many Germans take their summer holidays in the Alps or by the Baltic Sea.
The bakery was opened by a German who moved to the city in 2015.
Otis and his German colleague discussed the new project over lunch.
用法筆記
Distinguish from the adjective — 'a German engineer' modifies engineer; 'a German' refers to the person themselves.
常見錯誤
german — adjective
1. connected with Germany, its people, the German language, or the culture of that
connected with Germany, its people, the German language, or the culture of that country
Takeshi drives a German car that his uncle imported from Munich.
typical attributive: German + noun (car)
The Christmas market in the town square followed an old German tradition.
These sausages are German, so they taste quite different from the local ones.
Élise enrolled in a German literature course at the university last fall.
The German railway system is known for being punctual and well organised.
- Germanic
refers to the broader language family or ancient peoples, not modern Germany; 'Germanic languages' includes Dutch and Swedish, but 'German literature' means from Germany specifically