der
Friseur
💇♂️ What does "der Friseur" mean?
Der Friseur is a male professional whose job it is to cut, care for, color, and style hair (frisieren = to style). They typically work in a Friseursalon (hair salon).
Important: The word "Friseur" specifically refers to the male person. The female form is die Friseurin.
Example: Mein Nachbar ist Friseur und hat seinen eigenen Salon eröffnet. (My neighbour is a hairdresser and opened his own salon.)
🚨 Pay attention: Although the profession is practiced by men and women, the noun "Friseur" is grammatically masculine (Maskulinum) and refers to a male person.
Article rules for der, die, and das
Male characters → always masculine.
Caution: Most professions also have their feminine forms (e.g. die Polizistin). Some words can also have two forms: der/die Deutsche, der/die Kranke.
-eur → mostly masculine.
Caution: but not -ur (almost always feminine)
🧐 Grammar in Detail: Der Friseur
The noun "der Friseur" is masculine. Here is its declension:
Declension Singular
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Nominativ) | der | Friseur |
| Accusative (Akkusativ) | den | Friseur |
| Dative (Dativ) | dem | Friseur |
| Genitive (Genitiv) | des | Friseurs |
Declension Plural
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Nominativ) | die | Friseure |
| Accusative (Akkusativ) | die | Friseure |
| Dative (Dativ) | den | Friseuren |
| Genitive (Genitiv) | der | Friseure |
Example Sentences
- Nominative: Der Friseur schneidet die Haare. (The hairdresser cuts the hair.)
- Accusative: Ich habe den Friseur nach einem Termin gefragt. (I asked the hairdresser for an appointment.)
- Dative: Sie gibt dem Friseur ein gutes Trinkgeld. (She gives the hairdresser a good tip.)
- Genitive: Die Schere des Friseurs ist sehr scharf. (The hairdresser's scissors are very sharp.)
- Plural: Die Friseure besuchen eine Weiterbildung. (The hairdressers attend further training.)
✂️ How to use "Friseur" correctly
The word "Friseur" is used in everyday language to refer to the profession or the male person who cuts and styles hair.
- Job title: Er lernt den Beruf des Friseurs. (He is learning the profession of a hairdresser.)
- Person / Place: Ich gehe heute zum Friseur. (I'm going to the hairdresser today. - This often refers to the salon, but implicitly also the person).
- In the salon: Fragen Sie einfach den Friseur, er kann Sie beraten. (Just ask the hairdresser, he can advise you.)
Sometimes, colloquially, you might see "Frisör", but the correct spelling according to the Duden dictionary is "Friseur".
The term Coiffeur is a more upscale term, borrowed from French, which can also be used but is less common.
🧠 Memory Aids for "Friseur"
Remembering the article "der"
Der Friseur typically refers to a man (masculine person), hence the article der. Think of a gentleman (der Herr) cutting hair.
Remembering the meaning
The word comes from the French "friser" (to curl, crimp). Imagine der Friseur artfully styling (frisiert) your hair.
↔️ Similar and Opposite Words
Synonyms (similar meaning):
- Haarschneider (more neutral, technical term for hair cutter)
- Coiffeur (more upscale, from French)
- Figaro (dated, often literary/musical, known from operas)
- Barbier (specializes in beard care and men's haircuts, traditional)
Potential for Confusion?
Be careful not to confuse "Friseur" (male) with "Friseurin" (female) when specifically talking about gender. The place is called der Friseursalon or das Friseurgeschäft (hair salon/shop).
😂 A Little Joke
German: Fragt der Friseur seinen neuen Kunden: "Wie möchten Sie die Haare geschnitten haben?" Antwortet der Kunde: "Am liebsten umsonst!"
English: The hairdresser asks his new customer: "How would you like your hair cut?" The customer replies: "Preferably for free!"
📜 Poetic Take on Friseur
German:
Der Friseur, mit Kamm und Scher',
verändert Köpfe, kreuz und quer.
Ein Schnitt, ein Föhn, ein wenig Wachs,
so wird aus Struwwel schnell was Schlacks.
Er zaubert Locken, glättet kraus,
verlässt man ihn, sieht man gut aus.
English:
The hairdresser, with comb and shear,
Changes heads, both far and near.
A cut, a blow-dry, a little wax,
Turns messy hair into smooth tracks.
He conjures curls, straightens the frizz,
Leaving him, you look top-biz.
❓ Riddle Time
German:
Ich kämpfe gegen Bad-Hair-Days mit Schere, Kamm und Spray.
Ob Mann, ob Frau, ob kurz, ob lang, ich mach die Haare schön im Gang.
Ich bin ein Mann, der dies vollbringt.
Wer bin ich, wie mein Name klingt?
English:
I fight bad hair days with scissors, comb, and spray.
Man or woman, short or long, I make hair beautiful along the way.
I am a man who achieves this feat.
Who am I, what's my name so neat?
Solution: Der Friseur (The hairdresser)
✨ Interesting Facts
- Etymology: The word "Friseur" comes from the French verb friser, meaning "to curl," "to crimp," or "to wave." It entered the German language in the 17th century.
- The Workplace: The place where a hairdresser works is called der Friseursalon or das Friseurgeschäft (hair salon/shop).
- Feminine Form: The female equivalent is die Friseurin (plural: die Friseurinnen).
Summary: is it der, die or das Friseur?
The word "Friseur" is a masculine noun, so its article is der. It refers to a male person whose profession is cutting and styling hair. The female form is "die Friseurin".