German Conversation · Level 85
59 words
German word
erwachsen
Pronunciation
IPA/ɛɐ̯ˈvaksn̩/
Meaning
- adjectiveadult
Example
Er ist ein erwachsener Mann.
He is a grown man.
More examples
Mit 30 habe ich mich plötzlich erwachsen gefühlt.
At 30, I suddenly felt like an adult.
Core concept
Someone no longer dependent like a child, with physical development and the judgment needed for independent life.
Common phrases
sich erwachsen fühlen
feel like an adult
erwachsen aussehen
look like an adult
erwachsen wirken
seem mature
Similar words
reif: Emotionally mature and able to respond appropriately.
selbstständig: Able to manage daily life and act without much help from others.
volljährig: Legally old enough to be considered an adult.
Definition in German
Nicht mehr kindlich; körperlich und seelisch in Reife und Selbstständigkeit.
Word origin
Erwachsen is an inherited Germanic formation from er- and wachsen, "to grow," originally describing someone who had grown fully.
Usage tips
- The noun for an adult is der Erwachsene or die Erwachsene, with a capital E because it is a substantivized adjective.
Other meanings
- matureadjective
- grownadjective
Opposites
- kindischchildishadjective
- unreifimmatureadjective
Related words
- Erwachsenwerdengrowing upnoun
- Erwachseneradultnoun