German word of the day: Typ
While this noun has one simple meaning you can use in many different benign situations, it also has a double meaning commonly found in the dating world.
What does it mean?
Typ is a simple noun that literally translates the way you think it might—to “type” in English—but the noun, not the verb. So rather than “typing” on a computer, Typ means a “type” or “category” of something. It’s a masculine verb and uses the article der in the singular form. In plural, you can use die Typen.
How do you use it or where might you see it?
You can use Typ benignly. So you might say: Autos dieses Typs sind besonders teuer or “cars of this type are especially expensive.”
But you will also commonly see Typ in the dating world. You can directly translate the English phrase “He is exactly my type” or Er ist genau mein Typ.
But der Typ can also simply mean “the guy”, often in situations of dating or love. You wouldn’t typically use der Typ in professional or even friendly situations that didn’t have something to do with someone’s romantic interest.
You might hear: Ich suche einen Typ für dich at a bar, meaning “I’m going to find a guy for you.”
One German song by die Prinzen, called Wer ist der Typ? – uses the world in a jealous way, as if to suggest his love or object of affection is interested in another man:
Wer ist der Typ da neben dir? Wer ist der Typ, und was will der hier? – or “Who is the guy next to you? Who is the guy and want does he want here?”
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What does it mean?
Typ is a simple noun that literally translates the way you think it might—to “type” in English—but the noun, not the verb. So rather than “typing” on a computer, Typ means a “type” or “category” of something. It’s a masculine verb and uses the article der in the singular form. In plural, you can use die Typen.
How do you use it or where might you see it?
You can use Typ benignly. So you might say: Autos dieses Typs sind besonders teuer or “cars of this type are especially expensive.”
But you will also commonly see Typ in the dating world. You can directly translate the English phrase “He is exactly my type” or Er ist genau mein Typ.
But der Typ can also simply mean “the guy”, often in situations of dating or love. You wouldn’t typically use der Typ in professional or even friendly situations that didn’t have something to do with someone’s romantic interest.
You might hear: Ich suche einen Typ für dich at a bar, meaning “I’m going to find a guy for you.”
One German song by die Prinzen, called Wer ist der Typ? – uses the world in a jealous way, as if to suggest his love or object of affection is interested in another man:
Wer ist der Typ da neben dir? Wer ist der Typ, und was will der hier? – or “Who is the guy next to you? Who is the guy and want does he want here?”
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