German word

Fassade

Pronunciation

IPA/faˈsaːdə/

Meaning

  • feminine nounfacade

Example

Die Fassaden der Altbauten sind bunt.

The facades of the old buildings are colorful.

Illustration for Fassade (facade)

More examples

Er lächelte, aber hinter der Fassade war er traurig.

He smiled, but behind the facade he was sad.

Core concept

A building's visible outer face can also serve as a polished front that hides what lies behind it.

Common phrases

  • hinter der Fassade

    behind the facade

  • eine Fassade aufrechterhalten

    maintain a facade

Similar words

Außenwand: The structural wall that forms the outside of a building.
Front: The outward-facing side of a building, especially the side with its main entrance.
Aussehen: The visible appearance of a person or thing.

Definition in German

Die äußere Wand oder Hülle eines Gebäudes, also die äußere Oberfläche mit ihrem Material und ihrer Gestaltung.

Word origin

German Fassade was borrowed from French façade, which goes back through Italian facciata to Latin facies, meaning 'face'.

Usage tips

  • Fassade is feminine, with the plural Fassaden; the metaphorical sense often appears in phrases such as eine Fassade aufrechterhalten.

Other meanings

  • frontnoun
  • exterior wallnoun
  • pretensenoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word