Heuschnupfen
/ˈhɔʏ̯ˌʃnʊpfən/
Hayfever in German is Heuschnupfen.
Heuschnupfen refers to an allergy to pollen that causes sneezing and an itchy nose. To say that you suffer from this condition, you use the phrase Heuschnupfen haben (to have hay fever).
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of Heu (hay) and Schnupfen (sniffles/snuff/cold).
How does it change in a sentence?
Heuschnupfen is a masculine noun. This means it takes the article der in the nominative case and den in the accusative case.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈhɔʏ̯ˌʃnʊpfən/
Did you know?
- In Germany, the seasonal arrival of Heuschnupfen is tracked via Pollenflug, or 'pollen flight', and official 'Pollenkalender' (pollen calendars) are used to predict which plants are active.
- The word Schnupfen is an onomatopoeia, as the pronunciation of the word is intended to mimic the actual sound of someone sniffing or drawing air through a blocked nose.
- The term Heuschnupfen is a linguistic relic because the condition is rarely caused by actual dried hay, but rather by grass and tree pollen.
Examples in context
- Ich habe Heuschnupfen. Könnten Sie mir ein Medikament empfehlen?I have hayfever. Could you recommend a medication?
- Entschuldigung, aber ich leide unter Heuschnupfen. Bitte haben Sie Verständnis, wenn ich niesen muss oder meine Augen jucken.Sorry, but I suffer from hayfever. Please bear with me if I need to sneeze or my eyes itch.
- Weißt du, ich hab echt Probleme mit Heufieber in dieser Jahreszeit. Die Niesanfälle nerven echt!You know, I really struggle with hay fever during this season. The sneezing fits are so annoying!
- Ich habe starken Heuschnupfen.I have bad hayfever.
- Mein Heuschnupfen wird im Frühling immer schlimmer.My hayfever always gets worse in spring.
- Hast du Medikamente gegen Heuschnupfen?Do you have medicine for hayfever?
Example conversation
Felix and Laura are talking about their symptoms during spring.
- FelixTut mir leid, ich muss ständig niesen.I am sorry, I have to sneeze constantly.
- LauraHast du wieder Heuschnupfen?Do you have hayfever again?
- FelixJa, die Pollen sind schrecklich.Yes, the pollen is terrible.
- LauraIch verstehe dich, ich leide auch darunter.I understand you, I suffer from it too.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Heuschnupfen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Heuschnupfen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
