German word

statt

Pronunciation

IPA/ʃtat/

Meaning

  • prepositioninstead of

Example

Sie lernt Deutsch, statt zu feiern.

She is studying German instead of partying.

Illustration for statt (instead of)

More examples

Er trinkt Wasser statt Kaffee.

He drinks water in place of coffee.

Core concept

One possible action is set aside while another takes its place.

Common phrases

  • statt Kaffee

    in place of coffee

  • statt mit dem Fahrrad

    in place of traveling by bicycle

Similar words

anstatt: Marks one action or thing as taking the place of another.
anstelle: Indicates a formal replacement of one thing or action by another.

Definition in German

Eine Alternative oder einen Ersatz bezeichnet; bei Nominalgruppen traditionell mit Genitiv, bei Infinitiven oft in der Form 'statt zu + Infinitiv' verwendet

Word origin

German statt developed from Old High German stat, meaning 'place', and is related to English stead; its meaning extended from a place to a substitute.

Usage tips

  • The preposition traditionally takes the genitive, as in statt des Kaffees, although other constructions also occur in modern usage.

Related words

Word lists with this word