nüchtern

German

Etymology

From Middle High German nüehtern, from Old High German nuohtarn, nuohturn, from Latin nocturnus (nocturnal). The word was probably originally used among monks in monasteries, with sense development "nocturnal" > "of dawn (the edge of night and day)" > "not having consumed any sustenance yet" > "sober". Compare Danish nøgtern, Hunsrik nichter, English nocturnal.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈnʏçtɐn/
  • Hyphenation: nüch‧tern
  • Audio:(file)

Adjective

nüchtern (strong nominative masculine singular nüchterner, comparative nüchterner, superlative am nüchternsten)

  1. sober (not drunk; serious, not playful or passionate)
  2. (medicine) on an empty stomach
    Bitte kommen Sie nüchtern zur Untersuchung.
    Please do not eat anything before the examination.
  3. matter-of-fact, unemotional

Declension

Further reading

  • nüchtern” in Duden online
  • nüchtern” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache