das
Bordell
📖 What exactly is a Bordell?
The German word das Bordell means brothel. It refers to an establishment where sexual services are offered for payment. It's a place where prostitution is conducted commercially.
Synonyms include terms like Freudenhaus (literally 'house of joy', euphemistic), Puff (colloquial, often derogatory), or Eros-Center (modern euphemism).
🚨 Important Note: The topic of prostitution and brothels (Bordelle) is socially and legally complex and often controversially discussed. The legality and regulation of brothels vary worldwide and even within Germany depending on the federal state (Bundesland).
Article rules for der, die, and das
Many foreign words → mostly neutral.
There are many foreign words, we won't list them all.
🧐 Grammar in Detail: Das Bordell
The word "Bordell" is a noun of neuter gender (sächlich).
Declension (Deklination):
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | das | Bordell |
| Genitive | des | Bordells / Bordelles |
| Dative | dem | Bordell |
| Accusative | das | Bordell |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Bordelle |
| Genitive | der | Bordelle |
| Dative | den | Bordellen |
| Accusative | die | Bordelle |
Example Sentences (Beispielsätze)
- Er besuchte heimlich das Bordell am Stadtrand.
(He secretly visited the brothel on the outskirts of town.) - Die Polizei führte eine Razzia in mehreren Bordellen durch.
(The police conducted a raid in several brothels.) - Die Schließung des Bordells wurde von Anwohnern gefordert.
(The closure of the brothel was demanded by residents.)
💬 How is "Bordell" used?
The term "das Bordell" is used to describe a place where prostitution occurs. It can appear in various contexts:
- News and Reporting: In connection with police operations (Polizeieinsätze), legal regulations (gesetzliche Regelungen), or social debates (soziale Debatten).
- Literature and Film: Often as a setting for specific plots or to characterize a certain milieu.
- Colloquial Language (Umgangssprache): Sometimes used in a derogatory or taboo manner. Alternative, often more neutral or euphemistic terms like "Etablissement" or "Laufhaus" also exist.
⚠️ Connotation: The word often carries a negative or at least shady connotation. More direct, vulgar synonyms like "Puff" are even more strongly negative.
🧠 Mnemonics for "das Bordell"
Article Mnemonic: Many buildings in German are neuter: das Haus (the house), das Gebäude (the building), das Etablissement (the establishment)... and also das Bordell. Imagine a (neutral) building that just happens to have this specific function.
Meaning Mnemonic: "Bordell" might sound a bit like "border" or a place you're "bored" in, but think of the French origin meaning 'small hut'. It's a specific type of establishment, maybe like a hidden "dell" or niche in the city.
🔄 Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms (Words with similar meaning):
- Freudenhaus: (Lit. 'house of joy') Euphemistic, somewhat dated.
- Puff: Colloquial, often derogatory.
- Etablissement: More neutral, general term for an establishment, often used euphemistically.
- Laufhaus: Specific type of brothel where prostitutes rent rooms and display themselves in windows.
- Eros-Center: More modern, often euphemistic term.
⚠️ Similar Words:
- Bordüre: (Border, trim) A decorative border or edge (unrelated to Bordell!).
😄 A Little Joke
Warum hat das Bordell eine Drehtür? Damit die Kunden beim Rausgehen nicht wissen, wer als Nächstes reinkommt!
(Why does the brothel have a revolving door? So that customers leaving don't know who's coming in next!)
(Please note: Humor is subjective, and this joke is not intended to discredit anyone.)
📜 Poem about the Word
Ein Haus, genannt das Bordell,
liegt oft versteckt, nicht ganz so hell.
Ein Ort mit Ruf, mal gut, mal schlecht,
im Duden steht's, ganz sachgerecht.
Mit "das" davor, so lernt man's schnell.
(A house that's called 'das Bordell',
Is often hidden, not lit so well.
A place with repute, sometimes bad, sometimes good,
In the dictionary, it's understood.
With 'das' before it, you learn it quite swell.)
🧩 Riddle
Ich bin ein Haus, doch kein Zuhaus’ für Familie,
man zahlt für Zeit, oft mit viel Geschick und List.
Mein Ruf ist zwiespältig, mein Name klingt speziell,
manch einer meidet mich, ein anderer kommt schnell.
Was bin ich?
(I am a house, but no home for family,
One pays for time, often with skill and trickery.
My reputation is ambiguous, my name sounds unique,
Some avoid me, others come quick.
What am I?)
Answer: das Bordell (the brothel)
🤓 Trivia & More
Etymology (Etymologie): The word "Bordell" comes from French. Old French "bordel" originally meant "small hut" (derived from "borde" - hut, plank). Later, the meaning evolved to "hut for prostitutes".
Cultural Aspects (Kulturelle Aspekte): Brothels (Bordelle) are often subjects in films, literature, and art, sometimes romanticized, sometimes critically depicted (e.g., in the movie "Pretty Woman" or paintings by Toulouse-Lautrec).
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Bordell?
The German word "Bordell" is neuter and always takes the article das Bordell. It refers to a brothel, an establishment for prostitution. Its declension follows the regular pattern for neuter nouns ending in -ell (Genitive Singular: des Bordells/Bordelles, Nominative Plural: die Bordelle).