German word

Hintergrund

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈhɪntɐˌgʁʊnt/

Meaning

  • masculine nounbackground

Example

Es gibt viele Hintergründe zu dieser Frage.

There is a lot of background to this question.

Illustration for Hintergrund (background)

More examples

Ihr beruflicher Hintergrund hilft ihr im Gespräch.

Her professional background helps her in the conversation.

Core concept

An unseen layer behind a visible scene, carrying its setting, context, or underlying reasons.

Common phrases

  • beruflicher Hintergrund

    professional background

  • kultureller Hintergrund

    cultural background

  • im Hintergrund

    in the background

Similar words

Kontext: Information about the surrounding situation that clarifies meaning.
Hintergrundwissen: Existing knowledge that supports understanding of a subject.
Umstände: Particular circumstances and conditions that affect an event.

Definition in German

Hintergrund nennt man die zu einer Situation gehörenden Voraussetzungen, Gründe oder den weiteren Kontext; bildlich die hintere Ebene eines Bildes.

Word origin

Hintergrund is a compound of hinter, meaning behind, and Grund, meaning ground or basis, and its spatial sense extends to context and underlying reasons.

Usage tips

  • Hintergrund is masculine, with the plural Hintergründe; im Hintergrund can describe something operating inconspicuously rather than literally being behind a scene.

Other meanings

  • backdropnoun
  • contextnoun
  • motivenoun

Opposites

Related words

  • Hintergrundwissenbackground knowledgenoun
  • Hintergrundmusikbackground musicnoun

Word lists with this word