German Conversation · Level 154
30 words
German word
Weib
Pronunciation
IPA/vaɪ̯p/
Meaning
- neuter nounwoman
Example
Er rief: 'Ihr Weiber!' und schlug die Tür zu.
He shouted, "Women!" and slammed the door.
More examples
Er beschimpfte sie als Weib.
He insulted her by calling her a woman.
Core concept
A woman reduced to a rough, dismissive label in a speaker's words.
Common phrases
als Weib beschimpfen
insult someone by calling them a woman
bloßes Weib
mere woman
altes Weib
old hag
Similar words
Frau: A neutral everyday term for an adult woman.
Mädchen: A term for a young woman.
Dame: A polite term for a woman in courteous or formal settings.
Definition in German
Schimpfwort für eine Frau, das Geringschätzung ausdrückt und besonders umgangssprachlich verwendet wird.
Word origin
Weib comes from Old High German wīb, a Germanic word related to English wife that originally meant woman or wife before developing a strongly derogatory sense.
Usage tips
- Weib is neuter: das Weib and die Weiber; its grammatical gender does not make the term respectful or neutral.