German Conversation · Level 99
58 words
German word
Narr
Pronunciation
IPA/naʁ/
Meaning
- masculine nounfool
Example
Er ist ein Narr.
He is a fool.
More examples
Nach seinem Fehler stand er als Narr da.
After his mistake, he looked like a fool.
Core concept
A court or carnival fool stands out by acting absurdly, while the same word also covers someone who looks foolish unintentionally.
Common phrases
als Narr dastehen
look like a fool
sich zum Narr machen
make a fool of oneself
den Narr spielen
play the fool
Similar words
Dummkopf: A mild everyday insult for someone who makes simple mistakes through poor judgment.
Trottel: A mild insult for someone whose slow, clumsy actions show poor judgment.
Idiot: A harsh insult for someone seen as severely lacking intelligence or common sense.
Definition in German
Eine Person, die durch unkluge Handlungen lächerlich wirkt oder sich absichtlich als Spaßmacher darstellt.
Word origin
The noun is recorded as Old High German narro and Middle High German narre, while its deeper origin remains uncertain.
Usage tips
- Narr is masculine, and its plural is Narren; after ein, forms such as einen Narren show weak masculine declension.