German word

Nacken

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈnakn̩/

Meaning

  • masculine nounback of the neck

Example

Er massiert meinen Nacken.

He is massaging the back of my neck.

Illustration for Nacken (back of the neck)

More examples

Nach dem Sport spürte ich einen steifen Nacken.

After exercising, I felt that my nape was stiff.

Core concept

A massage reaches the narrow rear section below the skull and above the shoulders.

Common phrases

  • den Nacken dehnen

    stretch the nape

  • einen steifen Nacken haben

    have a stiff nape

  • den Nacken wärmen

    warm the nape

Similar words

Hals: The neck as a whole, including the throat and the sides down to the shoulders.
Genick: The middle of the back of the neck, especially where head movement occurs.
Hinterkopf: The rear section of the head rather than the neck itself.

Definition in German

der hintere Teil des Halses zwischen Kopf und Schultern

Word origin

Nacken comes through Middle High German nacke from an old Germanic body-part word that is cognate with English nape.

Usage tips

  • Hals can denote the neck more generally, but Nacken identifies its rear side and is used for complaints about that area.

Other meanings

  • napenoun

Opposites

Related words

  • Nackenschmerzenneck painnoun
  • Nackenmassageneck massagenoun
  • Nackenrolleneck support pillownoun

Word lists with this word