blau

adjective
blue, drunk
A1

Main meanings: 'blue' (color) and colloquial 'drunk' (as in 'er ist blau'). Gradable: comparative blauer, superlative am blauesten. Not irregular. Used attributively for color, predicatively for state ("ist blau"). Note idiomatic verb 'blau machen' means to skip work. Common colloquial use in spoken German.

Examples

Das Hemd ist blau.
The shirt is blue.
Nach der Party war er ziemlich blau.
After the party he was pretty drunk.
Das Auto war blau, weil es neu lackiert worden war, und deshalb fiel es sofort auf.
The car was blue because it had been newly painted, and therefore it immediately stood out.

Details

GradableYes
Comparativeblauer
Superlativeam blauesten
ParticipleNo

Mnemonics

πŸ‘οΈPicture a clear blue sky to anchor the colour
πŸ‘‚rhymes with English 'how' but starts with 'bl' like 'blue'
⚧️n/a

Notes

Besides the colour meaning, 'blau' colloquially means 'drunk' in German. Context determines meaning.

Category

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