German word

Schulter

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈʃʊltɐ/

Meaning

  • feminine nounshoulder

Example

Sie zuckte mit den Schultern.

She shrugged her shoulders.

Illustration for Schulter (shoulder)

More examples

Er trug die Tasche über der Schulter.

He carried the bag over his shoulder.

Core concept

The rounded upper-body area where the arm joins the torso.

Common phrases

  • mit den Schultern zucken

    shrug one's shoulders

  • jemandem auf die Schulter klopfen

    pat someone on the shoulder

  • eine Tasche über die Schulter tragen

    carry a bag over one's shoulder

  • an der Schulter fassen

    take someone by the shoulder

Similar words

Arm: The limb extending from the shoulder to the wrist.
Hand: The part with the palm and fingers, used for grasping and touching.
Nacken: The soft area at the back of the neck between the head and shoulders.
Oberarm: The upper part of the arm between the shoulder and elbow.

Definition in German

Die Schulter bezeichnet den seitlichen Bereich des Oberkörpers, an dem das Schultergelenk und der Oberarm verbunden sind.

Word origin

Schulter is an inherited Germanic word related to English shoulder, with Old High German scultra and Middle High German schulter as earlier forms.

Usage tips

  • In mit den Schultern zucken, Schultern is plural and appears in the dative after mit.

Related words

  • das Schulterzuckenshrugnoun
  • die Schultertascheshoulder bagnoun
  • schulterfreioff-the-shoulderadjective

Word lists with this word