German word

Schatten

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈʃatn̩/

Meaning

  • masculine nounshadow

Example

Er wirft einen langen Schatten.

He casts a long shadow.

Illustration for Schatten (shadow)

More examples

Die Kinder spielen im Schatten.

The children are playing in the shade.

Core concept

A dark shape cast onto a surface when an object stands between it and a light source.

Common phrases

  • im Schatten bleiben

    stay in the shade

  • einen Schatten auf etwas werfen

    cast a shadow on something

Similar words

Dunkelheit: A state in which a place or period is dark because there is very little light.
Schattenseite: The negative or disadvantageous aspect of a person, event, or situation.

Definition in German

Dunkle Fläche, die auf einer Oberfläche entsteht, wenn Licht durch ein Hindernis blockiert wird.

Word origin

Schatten is an inherited Germanic word related to Old High German scato and ultimately to the Proto-Germanic root *skadwaz.

Usage tips

  • Schatten is masculine, and its plural is also Schatten, as in der Schatten and die Schatten.

Other meanings

  • shadenoun
  • shadingnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • beschattenshadowverb
  • schattigshadyadjective
  • Schattenbildsilhouettenoun

Word lists with this word