German Conversation · Level 26
90 words
German word
Phantom
Pronunciation
IPA/fanˈtoːm/
Meaning
- neuter nounphantom
Example
Im Licht sah ich nur ein Phantom.
In the light, I saw only a phantom.
More examples
Viele behaupten, ein Phantom im Spiegel gesehen zu haben.
Many people claim to have seen a phantom in the mirror.
Core concept
A figure that seems present to the eyes or mind but has no solid body, like a shape glimpsed in dim light.
Common phrases
ein Phantom im Spiegel sehen
see a phantom in a mirror
ein Phantom beschreiben
describe a phantom
Similar words
Geist: A supernatural spirit or the soul of someone who has died.
Gespenst: A frightening ghost said to appear in a house or other place.
Erscheinung: A visible form or presence that appears only for a short time.
Illusion: A mental illusion caused by misleading senses or faulty judgment.
Definition in German
Phantom ist ein Erscheinungsbild oder eine Vorstellung, die sichtbar sein kann, jedoch keine greifbare Wirklichkeit besitzt.
Word origin
German Phantom is borrowed from Latin phantoma, ultimately from Greek phantasma, meaning an apparition or something seen.
Usage tips
- Phantom is neuter in German, so the standard form is das Phantom and its plural is die Phantome.
Other meanings
- ghostnoun
- illusionnoun
Opposites
- Realitätrealitynoun
Related words
- Phantomschmerzphantom painnoun
- phantomartigphantom-likeadjective