German Conversation · Level 68
60 words
German word
Fink
Pronunciation
IPA/fɪŋk/
Meaning
- masculine nounfinch
Example
Im Garten sehe ich einen Fink.
In the garden, I see a finch.
More examples
Im Vogelkäfig entdeckte sie einen Fink mit leuchtendem Gefieder.
In the birdcage, she discovered a finch with bright plumage.
Core concept
A harmless-looking finch carries seeds in its beak and secrets to other people.
Common phrases
zwitschernder Fink
chirping finch
auf dem Ast sitzender Fink
finch sitting on the branch
Similar words
Verräter: A person who betrays trusted allies by passing secrets or benefits to others.
Spitzel: A secret informant who gathers information and reports it to outsiders.
Petze: A person who reports others' minor misdeeds or pranks to authority.
Denunziant: A malicious informer who reports others to cause them harm.
Definition in German
Fink bezeichnet umgangssprachlich eine Person, die andere verrät; ursprünglich ist Fink der Name eines kleinen, samenfressenden Singvogels.
Word origin
The noun comes through Germanic forms such as Old High German finko and Middle High German vink and is cognate with English finch; the informer sense developed figuratively from the bird name.
Usage tips
- The colloquial informer sense is insulting, so Fink is unsuitable for neutral descriptions of an informant.
Other meanings
- informernoun
Related words
- Finkenbestandfinch populationnoun
- Finkenfutterfinch foodnoun