German Word of the Day: Der Futterneid
Do you often get jealous when you go out for food with friends and end up fancying someone else’s dinner? Or when you end up with the smallest piece of cake? This is the German word you need!
Futterneid is a compound noun which is made up of the words ‘food’ and ‘jealousy’. The German word ‘Futter’ translates as ‘animal feed’ or ‘fodder’, but is also used colloquially to describe human food. Futterneid translates into English literally as ‘food jealousy’, but the more idiomatic ‘food envy’ is a better translation.
The word describes the highly relatable feeling when you simply order food at a restaurant wrong, and then have to suffer through the rest of the meal watching someone else eating something that looks and smells much better than what you have.
It is a common description of the problem amongst siblings when one ends up with a bigger portion than the other and is sometimes also used to describe greedy dogs eyeing what their owner is eating.
Examples:
Er war gestern abend wegen des Futterneids so mürrisch.
He was so grumpy yesterday evening because he was envious of the food.
Der Hund sabbert immer wegen des Futterneids.
The dog always dribble because he wants the food.
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Futterneid is a compound noun which is made up of the words ‘food’ and ‘jealousy’. The German word ‘Futter’ translates as ‘animal feed’ or ‘fodder’, but is also used colloquially to describe human food. Futterneid translates into English literally as ‘food jealousy’, but the more idiomatic ‘food envy’ is a better translation.
The word describes the highly relatable feeling when you simply order food at a restaurant wrong, and then have to suffer through the rest of the meal watching someone else eating something that looks and smells much better than what you have.
It is a common description of the problem amongst siblings when one ends up with a bigger portion than the other and is sometimes also used to describe greedy dogs eyeing what their owner is eating.
Examples:
Er war gestern abend wegen des Futterneids so mürrisch.
He was so grumpy yesterday evening because he was envious of the food.
Der Hund sabbert immer wegen des Futterneids.
The dog always dribble because he wants the food.
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Do you have a favourite word you'd like to see us cover? If so, please email our editor Rachel Stern with your suggestion.
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