noun
costume, outfit
B1
Means 'costume' or 'outfit'. German noun is neuter (das Kostüm). Plural is regular 'Kostüme' (note the umlaut). Declension examples: nominative plural die Kostüme, genitive der Kostüme, dative den Kostümen. No irregular plural; standard declension applies. Used for carnival, theater and formal wear.
Examples
Die Schauspielerin trug ein Kostüm, damit sie die Rolle besser darstellen konnte.
The actress wore a costume so that she could portray the role better.
Für Karneval kaufe ich ein neues Kostüm.
I'm buying a new outfit for carnival.
Sie trägt ein schönes Kostüm zur Party.
She is wearing a beautiful costume to the party.
Details
Mnemonics
Imagine a Halloween costume with colorful fabric and a mask.
Looks and sounds like English 'costume'.
das — picture a small neutral box (neuter) holding the costume: 'das Kostüm'.
Notes
Contains an umlaut (ü); plural is Kostüme. In casual writing 'Kostuem' is sometimes used when umlauts aren't available.