German word

Kater

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈkaːtɐ/

Meaning

  • masculine nounhangover

Example

Nach der Party hatte ich einen Kater.

After the party, I had a hangover.

Illustration for Kater (hangover)

More examples

Am Morgen danach litt er noch unter einem Kater.

The next morning, he was still suffering from a hangover.

Core concept

A rough morning-after burden sits in the body, while Kater also names a male cat.

Common phrases

  • einen Kater haben

    have a hangover

  • unter einem Kater leiden

    suffer from a hangover

Similar words

Hangover: A casual English-derived term for the fatigue and discomfort of a hangover.
Katzenjammer: A traditional word for the painful nausea and misery of a hangover.
Brummschädel: A dull headache and mental fog following excessive drinking.

Definition in German

Zustand am Morgen nach zu viel Alkohol, gekennzeichnet durch Übelkeit, Kopfschmerz und allgemeines Unwohlsein.

Word origin

The hangover sense of Kater is generally treated as a shortening of Katzenjammer, literally 'cat's lament', a nineteenth-century colloquial term for drinking-related misery.

Usage tips

  • For the hangover meaning, Kater is masculine and usually appears in the accusative phrase 'einen Kater haben'.

Other meanings

  • tomcatnoun

Opposites

  • Nüchternheitsobrietynoun

Related words

  • katerighungoveradjective
  • Katerstimmunghangover moodnoun

Word lists with this word