Wagen

See also: wagen, Wägen, and wägen

German

Etymology

From Middle High German wagen, from Old High German wagan, from Proto-Germanic *wagnaz, from Proto-Indo-European *woǵʰnos, from Proto-Indo-European *weǵʰ-. Cognate with Dutch wagen, English wain (and wagon, borrowed from Dutch), West Frisian wein, Danish vogn, Swedish vagn.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈvaːɡən/, [ˈvaːɡən], [ˈvaːɡŋ̩]
  • Audio(file)
  • Hyphenation: Wa‧gen
  • Rhymes: -aːɡn̩
  • Homophones: wagen, Waagen

Noun

Wagen m (genitive Wagens, plural Wagen or Wägen, diminutive Wägelchen n)

  1. car, vehicle
    • 1929, Kurt Tucholsky, Das Lächeln der Mona Lisa (Sammelband), Ernst Rowohlt Verlag, page 110:
      Heute haben wir den 28. Juli, der Pariser Autobusführer sitzt vorn am Steuerrad und wendet den schweren, langen Wagen, als ob es ein kleiner Zweisitzer wäre.
      Today is the 28th of July, the Parisian autobus driver sits in front at the steering wheel and turns around the heavy, long vehicle as if it were a small two-seater.
  2. trolley, wagon

Usage notes

The plural Wägen is chiefly colloquial and not often seen in written German. It is heard most commonly in southern Germany and Austria. In some parts of central and northern Germany, both plurals are used with Wägen preferred for small trolleys, but Wagen for cars.

Declension

Derived terms

Further reading

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