German Conversation · Level 24
90 words
German word
Geist
Pronunciation
IPA/gaɪ̯st/
Meaning
- masculine nounspirit
Example
Er hat einen ruhigen Geist.
He has a calm spirit.
More examples
Mein alter Fernseher hat gestern den Geist aufgegeben.
My old television gave up the ghost yesterday.
Core concept
A person's invisible mental force can appear as calm thought, a haunting being, or the character of a community.
Common phrases
den Geist aufgeben
give up the ghost
der Geist der Zeit
spirit of the age
Geist und Körper
spirit and body
Similar words
Verstand: The capacity for reasoned thinking and sound judgment.
Bewusstsein: Awareness of what is currently being thought and felt.
Seele: The deeply personal inner life of emotions, values, and identity.
Hirn: The body's physical organ that enables thought and influences emotion.
Definition in German
Das immaterielle Wesen des Denkens und Bewusstseins; auch die prägende Haltung oder das geistige Klima einer Zeit oder Gruppe.
Word origin
German Geist is an inherited Germanic noun from Old High German geist and Proto-Germanic *gaistaz, cognate with English ghost.
Usage tips
- The adjective geistig usually means intellectual or mental, while geistlich usually means religious or ecclesiastical.