German word

kahl

Pronunciation

IPA/kaːl/

Meaning

  • adjectivebald

Example

Er hat eine kahle Stelle am Hinterkopf.

He has a bald spot on the back of his head.

Illustration for kahl (bald)

More examples

Seine kahle Stirn glänzte im Sonnenlicht.

His bald forehead gleamed in the sunlight.

Core concept

A surface is exposed because its usual covering, especially hair or vegetation, is missing.

Common phrases

  • kahle Stirn

    bald forehead

  • kahle Stelle

    bald spot

  • kahle Schläfen

    bald temples

Similar words

glatzköpfig: The head has almost no hair, with most of the scalp exposed.
schütter: Hair grows thinly and sparsely, allowing the scalp to show through.
dünnhaarig: Thin, fine hair is present in low density, so the scalp shows easily.
haarlos: The head or body is completely without hair.

Definition in German

Ohne oder mit sehr wenig Haar an einer Körperstelle, besonders am Kopf.

Word origin

Kahl is an inherited Germanic adjective, recorded in Old High German as kal and related to Dutch kaal.

Usage tips

  • Kahl can describe a bare tree, landscape, or patch as well as missing hair, so bald is not its only English equivalent.

Other meanings

  • bareadjective

Opposites

  • behaarthairyadjective

Related words

  • Kahlheitbaldnessnoun
  • kahlköpfigbald-headedadjective

Word lists with this word