German word

Spruch

Pronunciation

IPA/ʃpʁʊx/

Meaning

  • masculine nounmaxim

Example

Kurze Sprüche bleiben oft im Gedächtnis.

Short maxims often stick in the memory.

Illustration for Spruch (maxim)

More examples

Sie zitierte einen alten Spruch, um die Stimmung zu heben.

She quoted an old maxim to lift the mood.

Core concept

A compact line that carries a rule or observation in a memorable form.

Common phrases

  • einen Spruch zitieren

    quote a maxim

  • einen Spruch aufsagen

    recite a maxim

  • sich einen Spruch merken

    remember a maxim

Similar words

Sprichwort: A time-honored saying that offers a moral or practical lesson.
Redewendung: A conventional phrase whose meaning is fixed by usage.
Zitat: A statement or passage quoted verbatim from another source.
Motto: A concise guiding phrase representing a person's or group's ideals.

Definition in German

Ein kurzer, prägnanter Ausspruch, der eine Meinung, Regel oder pointierte Beobachtung knapp zusammenfasst.

Word origin

Spruch comes from Middle High German spruch and is related to sprechen, 'to speak', through the Germanic family of words for speaking.

Usage tips

  • Spruch is masculine, and its plural is Sprüche, with an umlaut.

Other meanings

  • famous sayingnoun
  • proverbnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • Ausspruchutterancenoun
  • Spruchsammlungcollection of maximsnoun

Word lists with this word