German word

Vampir

Pronunciation

IPA/vamˈpiːɐ̯/

Meaning

  • masculine nounvampire

Example

Die Zähne des Vampirs sind scharf.

The vampire's teeth are sharp.

Illustration for Vampir (vampire)

More examples

Der Vampir erwachte bei Vollmond.

The vampire awoke at full moon.

Core concept

A sharp-toothed nocturnal being whose defining activity is feeding on living blood.

Common phrases

  • Vampirmythos

    vampire myth

  • Vampirfilm

    vampire film

  • Spuk eines Vampirs

    haunting by a vampire

Similar words

Blutsauger: A casual term for a creature that sucks blood.
Untoter: An imagined being that resembles a corpse but can move.
Gespenst: A spirit of a dead person believed to appear.
Nachtwesen: A creature or entity that appears at night.

Definition in German

Ein fiktives Wesen, das sich von Blut lebender Menschen oder Tiere ernährt und meist nachtaktiv dargestellt wird.

Word origin

The German noun Vampir entered through French vampire in the eighteenth century, ultimately coming from Serbian or Croatian vampir.

Usage tips

  • The genitive singular is Vampirs, as in die Zähne des Vampirs, while the nominative singular uses the article der.

Opposites

  • Sterblichermortalnoun

Related words

  • vampirischvampiricadjective
  • Vampirismusvampirismnoun

Word lists with this word