kahl
/kaːl/
In German, the English phrase "bald" is translated as kahl. Wiktionary also lists glatzköpfig.
Meaning: having little or no hair (adj)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| kahl | /kaːl/ |
| glatzköpfig | /ˈɡlat͡sˌkœp͡fɪç/ /-ˌkœp͡fɪk/ |
If you are referring to the physical state of a person's baldness or a bald head as a noun, you would use Glatze.
Which one should you use?
Use glatzköpfig specifically to describe a person's physical appearance as being bald-headed.
How does it change in a sentence?
When kahl is used as an attributive adjective before a feminine or plural noun, it takes the ending -e, such as in kahle Stelle.
How do you pronounce it?
/kaːl/
Did you know?
- The word kahl is related to the English word 'callow', which originally meant 'bald' but is now used to describe someone 'immature'.
- While kahl describes a person as bald, it is also the standard term for a landscape stripped of trees or a mountain without vegetation.
- In German, kahl can be used to describe a room that is completely empty or devoid of furniture, similar to the English 'stark'.
Examples in context
- Der König von Frankreich ist kahl.The King of France is bald.This sentence uses kahl to describe a person.Tatoeba #726127 by Esperantostern, translation #702475 by CN
- Tom hat eine kahle Stelle am Kopf.Tom has a bald spot.This sentence uses kahl to describe a spot on the head.Tatoeba #1315651 by al_ex_an_der, translation #1177623 by CK
- Ich habe eine kahle Stelle am Kopf.I have a bald spot.Tatoeba #10095073 by wolfgangth, translation #5858129 by CK
- Der Bericht wird in Kürze verfügbar sein.The report will be available shortly.
- Wir erwarten die baldige Veröffentlichung der Ergebnisse.We anticipate the imminent publication of the results.
- Ich fahre bald in den Urlaub!I'm going on vacation soon!
- Mein Geburtstag steht in Bälde vor der Tür.My birthday is just around the corner.
- Der Sommerurlaub steht bald vor der Tür.Summer vacation is coming soon.
- Ich bekomme sie in Kürze!I will receive them shortly!
- Das Konzert ist bald!The concert is soon!
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Laura and Maximilian are looking at old family photos.
- LauraSchau mal, mein Opa war früher ganz kahl.Look, my grandpa was completely bald back then.
- MaximilianDas stimmt, er sieht auf dem Foto kahl aus.That's true, he looks bald in the photo.
- LauraEr hat es immer sehr lustig kommentiert.He always commented on it in a very funny way.
- MaximilianDas ist ein wirklich sympathisches Bild.That is a really likeable picture.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bald” translations and entries kahl, glatzköpfig, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries glatzköpfig, kahl, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
