Flecken
The English word "spots" is translated into German as Flecken.
Flecken is used to describe small, circular marks or stains on a surface. It is the standard term for accidental stains, such as those caused by ink or coffee on clothing.
Which one should you use?
While Flecken refers to irregular, often accidental stains or marks, the word Punkte is used to refer to precise, geometric dots.
How does it change in a sentence?
Flecken is the plural form. The singular form is der Fleck.
Did you know?
- The German word for 'freckles', Sommersprossen, is a compound word that literally translates to 'summer sprouts'.
- A 'blind spot' in a car's mirror is called toter Winkel in German, which translates literally to 'dead angle'.
- The term Flecken can appear in old administrative texts to describe a 'market town' that had some privileges but was not a full city.
Examples in context
- Der Leopard ward seiner Flecken müde.The leopard was getting bored with its spots.This sentence shows the use of Flecken in relation to an animal's markings.Tatoeba #2727048 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1524772 by sundown
- Er hat überall am Körper rote Flecken.He has red spots all over his body.This sentence demonstrates how to describe red Flecken located on a person's body.Tatoeba #10102182 by wolfgangth, translation #272287 by CK
- Sie hat überall am Körper rote Flecken.She has red spots all over her body.Tatoeba #3857425 by Zaghawa, translation #3034531 by CM
- Die Markierungen auf der Karte zeigen wichtige touristische Spots an.The markings on the map indicate important tourist spots.
- Hast du bemerkt, dass mein Gesicht lauter rote Punkte hat?Did you notice that my face has a lot of red spots?
- Unser Welpe hat ein schwarzes Fleckchen auf der Nase.Our puppy has a little black spot on its nose.
- Gestern habe ich einen schönen Picknickplatz mit vielen Schattenstellen gefunden.Yesterday, I discovered a lovely picnic spot with many shaded areas.
- Ich brauche ein neues Kissen. Meins hat zu viele Fleckchen.I need a new pillow. Mine has too many spots.
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julia and Lukas are looking at a piece of clothing.
- JuliaSchau mal, das Hemd hat braune Flecken.Look, the shirt has brown spots.
- LukasOh nein, gehen diese Flecken in der Wäsche aus?Oh no, will these spots come out in the wash?
- JuliaIch glaube, wir brauchen ein spezielles Mittel.I think we need a special product.
- LukasAlles klar, ich werde es gleich versuchen.All right, I will try it right away.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
