German word

Not

Pronunciation

IPA/noːt/

Meaning

  • feminine nounpredicament, distress

Example

Er geriet plötzlich in Nöte.

He suddenly found himself in a predicament.

Illustration for Not (predicament)

More examples

Das Unternehmen steckt in Not.

The company is in distress.

Viele Familien gerieten während der Krise in Not.

Many families got into a predicament during the crisis.

Core concept

A person is cornered by a sudden crisis, with no practical way forward without outside help.

Common phrases

  • in Not geraten

    get into a predicament

  • in Not sein

    be in a predicament

  • finanzielle Not

    financial distress

Similar words

Notfall: An emergency requiring immediate rescue or medical treatment.
Notlage: A difficult situation in which outside help is needed temporarily or over time.
Krise: A serious period of change requiring important decisions in personal or social life.

Definition in German

Not bezeichnet einen Zustand dringender Bedürftigkeit oder akuter Gefahr, in dem Hilfe erforderlich ist.

Word origin

Not comes from Old High German nôt, from Proto-Germanic *nauthiz, a Germanic term for need or distress.

Usage tips

  • Not is feminine, with plural Nöte, and the common phrase in Not geraten means 'to get into trouble' or 'fall into distress'.

Other meanings

  • emergencynoun

Opposites

  • Wohlstandprosperitynoun
  • Überflussabundancenoun

Related words

Word lists with this word