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GERMAN WORD OF THE DAY

German words you need to know: Die Streicheleinheit

You can show your pets - or your German friends - some TLC with this word.

German words you need to know: Die Streicheleinheit
A woman scratches her dog in Lower Saxony. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Philipp Schulze

This feminine noun is made up of the verb ‘streicheln’, meaning ‘to stroke’ or ‘to pet’ – usually referring to an animal – and ‘Einheit’, meaning a single unit or, more accurately in this context, a session. 

Put together, ‘Streicheleinheit’ means ‘a session of stroking or petting’. It refers mostly to a physical act, but can imply any display of affection, including words of affirmation and endearment.

Imagine coming home after a long day at work, setting your cat on your lap, and stroking along its head and back as it purrs quietly. This activity helps to produce stress releasing hormones and makes you feel more relaxed and at ease – and your cat is likely to be practically ecstatic too. This is the archetypal image of Streicheleinheit

Although it is usually used in the context of animals, particularly household pets, you can also deal out a session of stroking to your human friends. Here it means something analogous to TLC – tender loving care – the perfect remedy to a stressful day and a great way to show care to the people closest to you. 

READ ALSO: German words you need to know: Der Stubentiger

You might be more used to hugging or kissing your loved ones when you greet them than stroking them, but if your friend tells you they are in need of a few Streicheleinheiten, in practice that generally means slowly stroking them up the arm or on the back. 

This kind of physical affection is proved to be effective at relieving stress for both the giver and receiver: it reduces secretion of cortisol, the stress hormone, and increases levels of oxytocin, which helps to maintain emotional and mental wellbeing.

However, it also doesn’t have to be a solely physical activity – you can also experience a Streicheleinheit für die Seele’ (for the soul) by treating yourself to something, for instance a holiday or a spa trip, which will make you feel better: just as in English we might refer to a vacation or time with family as ‘good for the soul’. 

But the main purpose of a Streicheleinheit is that it is given as an expression of love and care – it isn’t something that can be paid for, but is something freely bestowed. It might be reciprocated, but it is not conditional. 

Examples:

Jeder braucht hin und wieder seine Streicheleinheiten. 

Everyone needs some TLC every now and again.

Von wahren Freunden kann man viele Streicheleinheiten erwarten.

From true friends you can expect a lot of TLC.

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GERMAN WORD OF THE DAY

German word of the day: Dudelsack

This hilarious sounding German word describes something quintessentially Scottish.

German word of the day: Dudelsack

Why do I need to know Dudelsack?

In the run-up to the German v Scotland opening match of Euro 2024, there were a lot of these gracing the streets of Munich. More importantly, why wouldn’t you want to know a word like Dudelsack?

Just say the word aloud and it will brighten your day. 

What does it mean?

Dudelsack (pronounced like this) is one of those German words that’s both charmingly literal and somewhat onomatopoeic, describing a big bag or sack that makes a ‘doodling’ kind of noise: in other words, the bagpipes.

As well as sounding like the noise this traditional Scottish instrument makes, dudeln also translates as ‘to drone’, and anyone who’s heard the bagpipes will know that this is also a fairly accurate description of how they sound. 

READ ALSO: 10 German words with hilarious literal translations

As Scotland geared up to play Germany in the opening match of Euro 2024 in Munich, many sacks were doodled in the Bavarian capital. 

Seeing parades of kilts and hearing the distinctive wail of the Dudelsack against the backdrop of Munich’s gothic town hall isn’t something you experience every day, and we’re sure it’s an experience the people of Munich also won’t forget for a while. 

Use it like this: 

Hör mal auf, Dudelsack zu spielen! Es geht mir auf die Nerven.

Stop playing the bagpipes! It’s getting on my nerves.  

Weißt du, wie der Dudelsack klingt? Man hört ihn überall in Schottland.

Do you know what the bagpipes sound like? You can hear them everywhere in Scotland. 

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