Blutfehde
[ˈbluːtˌfeːdə]feminine
The English word vendetta can be translated into German as Blutfehde or Vendetta.
Meaning: bitter, destructive feud in which each injury is revenged (noun)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Blutfehde | [ˈbluːtˌfeːdə] (narrow) | feminine |
| Vendetta | feminine |
Both terms describe a bitter, destructive feud in which each injury is revenged.
Which one should you use?
Blutfehde refers to a blood feud and is more specific to historical or tribal contexts involving blood vengeance. In contrast, Vendetta is more general and is often used in a modern, dramatic context.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both Blutfehde and Vendetta are feminine nouns, meaning they take the feminine article die (e.g., die Blutfehde or die Vendetta).
Did you know?
- While Vendetta is borrowed from Italian, its use in German to describe a general 'grudge' is likely a semantic loan from English.
- In German history, the process of ending a Blutfehde often involved 'Blutgeld', or blood money, paid to the victim's family to prevent further killing.
- If you want to describe a more common, petty, or non-violent grudge, a German speaker would likely avoid both of these words and use 'Groll' instead.
Examples in context
- In ihrer Familie gab es eine jahrelange Blutrache gegen die konkurrierende Familie.In her family, there was a long-standing vendetta against the rival family.
- Die Blutfehde zwischen den Familien dauerte Jahre.The blood feud between the families lasted years.
- Er wollte keine neue Blutfehde beginnen.He did not want to start a new blood feud.
Example conversation
Lukas and Sarah are discussing a historical novel.
- LukasDas Buch handelt von einer langen Blutfehde.The book is about a long vendetta.
- SarahKlingt sehr dramatisch und traurig.That sounds very dramatic and sad.
- LukasJa, niemand kann den Hass vergessen.Yes, nobody can forget the hatred.
- SarahIch hoffe, es gibt ein glückliches Ende.I hope there is a happy ending.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “vendetta” translations and entries Blutfehde, Vendetta, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Blutfehde, Vendetta, CC BY-SA 4.0.
