kalter Krieg
masculine
The English phrase "cold war" is translated into German as kalter Krieg.
The phrase refers to a period of hostile relations. When referring specifically to the historical period between the Soviet Bloc and the Western powers from 1945 to 1991, it is treated as a proper name.
Meaning: a period of hostile relations (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adjective kalt (cold) and the masculine noun Krieg (war).
Which one should you use?
The form kalter Krieg is used for a general cold war, whereas the capitalized version Kalter Krieg is used when referring specifically to the historical name of the period.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
In the nominative case with a definite article, the adjective takes the ending '-e', resulting in der kalte Krieg. In the accusative case, which is used for direct objects, the adjective takes the '-en' ending, such as in einen kalten Krieg.
Did you know?
- While Kalter Krieg describes the historical era, the phrase kalter Frieden (cold peace) is sometimes used to describe a state of stability that lacks any actual warmth or friendliness.
- The word Krieg descends from the Proto-West Germanic word *krīg, which originally related to a 'contest' or 'struggle' rather than just a military conflict.
- In German, the word Krieg can be combined with other nouns to create highly specific terms, such as Handelskrieg for a 'trade war' or Kulturkrieg for a 'culture war'.
Examples in context
- Während des Kalten Krieges sagte John F. Kennedy: 'Ich bin ein Berliner.'During the Cold War, John F. Kennedy said, 'I am a Berliner.'
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cold war” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Krieg, krieg, CC BY-SA 4.0.
