die
Bredouille
🤔 What Exactly Does 'die Bredouille' Mean?
Die Bredouille (feminine noun) refers to an unpleasant, difficult situation, a predicament, tight spot, fix, or jam that is hard to get out of. You are 'in der Bredouille' when you are in trouble.
It's a loanword from French (être bredouille = to come away empty-handed, to be unsuccessful, originally in games or hunting).
⚠️ Note: The word is almost exclusively used in the singular and often in set phrases.
Article rules for der, die, and das
-e/-ee → almost always feminine.
There are many -e nouns, many of which are feminine, but there are also some important exceptions.
🧐 Grammar Insight: Looking at die Bredouille
Die Bredouille is a feminine noun. It is almost always used in the singular. A plural form theoretically exists (die Bredouillen), but it is extremely rare.
Declension Singular
| Case | Definite Article | Indefinite Article |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Subject) | die Bredouille | eine Bredouille |
| Genitive (Possessive) | der Bredouille | einer Bredouille |
| Dative (Indirect Object) | der Bredouille | einer Bredouille |
| Accusative (Direct Object) | die Bredouille | eine Bredouille |
Example Sentences
- Er saß ganz schön in der Bredouille, als er sein Portemonnaie verloren hatte.
(He was really in a fix when he lost his wallet.) - Wie komme ich nur aus dieser Bredouille wieder heraus?
(How will I ever get out of this predicament?) - Sie hat ihm aus der Bredouille geholfen.
(She helped him out of the jam.) - Durch seine unüberlegte Aussage brachte er sich selbst in die Bredouille.
(With his thoughtless statement, he got himself into trouble.)
💡 How to Use 'Bredouille'
The word Bredouille tends to belong to more educated colloquial German, but it is widely understood. It is mostly used in set phrases:
- in der Bredouille sein/sitzen/stecken: to be in a fix / in a tight spot / in trouble
- jemanden in die Bredouille bringen: to get someone into trouble
- jemandem aus der Bredouille helfen: to help someone out of a jam
- sich aus der Bredouille ziehen/befreien: to get oneself out of a predicament
It often emphasizes a situation that is both difficult and somewhat embarrassing or awkward. Compared to Problem (problem) or Schwierigkeit (difficulty), Bredouille often sounds slightly less severe, but still annoying and tricky.
🧠 Mnemonics for Bredouille
Article Mnemonic: Think of die Notlage (the emergency) or die Klemme (the fix/jam). Both are feminine, just like die Bredouille.
Meaning Mnemonic: Bredouille sounds a bit like 'brew-dool-yeh'. Imagine someone is brewing trouble, getting themselves into a tricky situation like a duel (dool) – a real predicament!
🔄 Similar & Opposite: Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms (similar meaning):
- die Klemme: Very common synonym, often colloquial ('fix', 'jam').
- die Zwickmühle: Often emphasizes a situation with two unpleasant choices ('dilemma').
- die Verlegenheit: Emphasizes the embarrassing aspect ('embarrassment', 'awkward spot').
- die Notlage: Sounds more serious, indicates greater trouble ('emergency', 'plight').
- die Patsche: Very colloquial ('pickle', 'jam' - as in 'in der Patsche sitzen').
- die Schwierigkeit: General term ('difficulty').
🚨 Caution: Not easily confused, but phonetically one might think of Bouillon (broth), which has a completely different meaning.
😄 A Little Joke
Warum nehmen Skelette keine Einladungen an?
Weil sie Angst haben, in eine Knochen-Bredouille zu geraten!
(Why don't skeletons accept invitations?
Because they're afraid of getting into a bone-predicament!)
✍️ Poem about the Bredouille
Man plant und denkt, es läuft wie geschmiert,
(You plan and think, it's going smoothly,)
doch plötzlich ist man desorientiert.
(but suddenly you're disoriented.)
Der Plan zerfällt, das Ziel verrückt,
(The plan falls apart, the goal shifted,)
man steckt fest, ist tief bedrückt.
(you're stuck, deeply downcast.)
Man sucht 'nen Ausweg, hin und her,
(You look for a way out, back and forth,)
diese Bredouille, sie wiegt so schwer.
(this predicament, it weighs so heavily.)
Doch mit Verstand und etwas Mut,
(But with reason and some courage,)
wird auch aus dieser Klemme gut.
(this tight spot too will turn out well.)
🧩 Little Riddle
Ich bin feminin und komme aus Frankreich her,
(I am feminine and come from France,)
steckst du in mir drin, ist das Leben schwer.
(if you're stuck in me, life is hard.)
Eine Klemme, eine Not, ein misslicher Stand,
(A fix, a plight, an awkward stand,)
in welcher Lage bist du hier im Land?
(in what situation are you here in the land?)
Solution: die Bredouille
🌍 Origin and Other Info
The word Bredouille comes from French. The expression être bredouille originally meant to come away empty-handed from hunting or gaming, i.e., having caught or won nothing. In German, this meaning of 'unsuccessful', 'without result' evolved into the meaning 'to be in a difficult, awkward situation'.
Es ist ein interessantes Beispiel dafür, wie Wörter aus anderen Sprachen entlehnt und in ihrer Bedeutung leicht angepasst werden können. Im Deutschen wird es fast nur noch für die schwierige Situation selbst verwendet. (It's an interesting example of how words can be borrowed from other languages and slightly adapted in meaning. In German, it's now almost exclusively used for the difficult situation itself.)
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Bredouille?
The word "Bredouille" is always feminine. The correct article is die. It describes a difficult situation or predicament and is mostly used in the singular in set phrases like "in der Bredouille stecken" (to be in a fix).
