German word

Einfall

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈaɪ̯nfal/

Meaning

  • masculine nounidea

Example

Gestern hatte ich einen Einfall.

Yesterday I had an idea.

Illustration for Einfall (idea)

More examples

Im Meeting hatte sie plötzlich einen Einfall, der das Problem löste.

In the meeting, she suddenly had an idea that solved the problem.

Core concept

A sudden mental spark becomes a suggestion or solution before any plan has formed.

Common phrases

  • einen Einfall haben

    have an idea

  • auf einen Einfall kommen

    get an idea

  • einen Einfall äußern

    express an idea

Similar words

Idee: A general thought, concept, or plan for something.
Gedanke: An idea or image present in the mind.
Vorschlag: A concrete suggestion for doing something, offered to others.

Definition in German

ein spontaner Gedanke oder Vorschlag, der ohne Planung kurz auftaucht

Word origin

Einfall is a Germanic compound of ein- ('in') and fallen ('to fall'), built on the image of something falling into the mind unexpectedly.

Usage tips

  • The related verb is einfallen: in a clause such as 'Mir fällt etwas ein,' the dative pronoun marks the person who has the thought.

Other meanings

  • inspirationnoun
  • brainwavenoun

Related words

  • einfallenoccur to someoneverb
  • einfallslosunimaginativeadjective
  • Einfallslosigkeitlack of imaginationnoun

Word lists with this word