dritter Stock
The English phrase "third floor" is translated into German as dritter Stock.
dritter Stock refers to the level of a building that is three levels up from the ground floor. You may also see the phrase dritte Etage used interchangeably with drittes Stockwerk to express this.
What does it mean word for word?
The word Stock in this context is a shortened form of Stockwerk, which literally means "story/level work" or "floor".
Which one should you use?
In Germany, dritter Stock refers to the level three levels above the ground floor. This may differ from some English-speaking countries where the "third floor" might be the level two levels above the ground floor if the ground floor is counted as the first floor.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to say "on the third floor" (for example, "I live on the third floor"), the phrase changes to im dritten Stock because the preposition in requires the dative case.
Did you know?
- The word Stock in dritter Stock shares a root with the word for 'stick' or 'log'. This refers to the wooden beams that historically supported the floors of a building.
- The term Etage is a French loanword used in dritte Etage. Because of its French origins, using it can sound more formal or sophisticated than the more common German word Stock.
- In German elevators, the ground floor is often labeled as EG for Erdgeschoss. This means the dritter Stock is actually the fourth physical level of the building.
Examples in context
- Entschuldigung, wie komme ich zum dritten Stockwerk?Excuse me, how do I get to the third floor?
- Können Sie mir sagen, wo sich das dritte Stockwerk befindet?Can you tell me where the third floor is located?
- Wie komme ich zum dritten Stock?How do I get to the third floor?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Stock, CC BY-SA 4.0.
