wellig
The English phrase wavy translates to German as wellig.
wellig is an adjective used to describe something that is full of waves.
Meaning: full of waves (adj)
Which one should you use?
While wellig describes a state of being wavy or undulating (like water or grass), gewellt is often used specifically to describe hair that has been styled or naturally formed into waves/curls.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective wellig changes its ending depending on the noun it describes: it takes the ending -e before a feminine or plural noun in the nominative or accusative case, such as in wellige Haare. It takes the ending -es before a neuter noun in the nominative or accusative case, such as in welliges Haar. And it takes the ending -en when used in the dative case or for masculine/plural nouns in the accusative case, such as in in dem welligen Gras.
Did you know?
- In German, the word Welle can also refer to a 'wave' of a particular trend or a physical 'cylinder' in mechanical engineering.
- In German cooking, Wellenkartoffeln are 'crinkle-cut' fries, using the root of wellig to describe the ridged edge of the potato.
- The term Wellenlänge (wavelength) is used in German both for physics and as a metaphor for people having the same 'wavelength' or temperament.
Examples in context
- Shona hat welliges Haar.Shona has wavy hair.This sentence is useful for describing someone having wellig hair.Tatoeba #3690803 by freddy1, translation #3121921 by CN
- Er hat wellige braune Haare und dunkle Augen.He has wavy brown hair and dark eyes.This sentence shows how to use wellig when describing hair alongside other features.Tatoeba #12423153 by Yorwba, translation #2490807 by Hybrid
- Überall in diesem hohen, welligen Gras, bis hin zum Teichrand, sprossen viele Blumen: Veilchen und Butterblumen und Löwenzahn, wie kleine goldene Sonnen.All through this tall, wavy grass, down to the very edge of the pond, grew many flowers, violets, and buttercups, and dandelions, like little golden suns.This sentence demonstrates the use of wellig to describe tall grass.Tatoeba #12837261 by Yorwba, translation #11042412 by Cangarejo
- Der Stoff für das Vorhangmuster ist wellenförmig gestaltet.The fabric for the curtain pattern is wavy.
- Hast du diese gewellten Haare schon mal gesehen?Have you seen these wavy hairs before?
Example conversation
Felix and Hannah are discussing a photo of a coastline.
- FelixDas Meer ist heute sehr wellig.The sea is very wavy today.
- HannahJa, die Wellen sind ziemlich groß.Yes, the waves are quite large.
- FelixWir sollten lieber am Strand bleiben.We should rather stay on the beach.
- HannahDu hast recht, Felix.You are right, Felix.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
