noun
carnival
B1
Fasnacht is a noun meaning carnival, a regional festival celebrated especially in Switzerland and parts of southern Germany. Gender: die; plural Fasnachten. It denotes the carnival period, parades and masks. No special prepositions or reflexivity. Regular feminine noun with plural in -en and local usage.
Examples
Die Fasnacht in unserer Stadt dauert drei Tage.
The carnival in our town lasts three days.
Die Vereine dekorierten die Gassen, weil an der Fasnacht viele Besucher erwartet wurden.
The clubs decorated the streets because many visitors were expected during Fasnacht.
Die Basler Fasnacht ist weltberühmt.
The Basel Carnival is world-famous.
Details
Mnemonics
Picture people in colorful masks and costumes filling the streets at night.
Sounds a bit like 'fast night' — imagine a fast-moving night parade.
Die Fasnacht — die (feminine). Think 'die' and 'Fasnacht' both end in a soft sound; many festival nouns are feminine (die Feier).
Notes
Fasnacht is a regional term used especially in parts of southern Germany, Switzerland and Austria; related words are Fasching and Karneval. The term often refers to traditional parades and masked festivities.