Geistesverfassung

state of mind

noun GAY-stes-fer-fas-sung Rare

Also means

mental condition

Usage Note

Geistesverfassung describes a person's mental or psychological state at a particular moment. In einer guten/schlechten Geistesverfassung sein (to be in a good/bad state of mind) is a natural construction, slightly more formal than Gemütszustand.

Examples

"In dieser Geistesverfassung sollte er keine wichtigen Entscheidungen treffen."

Natural Translation

In this state of mind he should not make any important decisions.

Literal Translation

In this mental-condition should he no important decisions make.

Free starter pack

Building your German vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common German words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

German Word Order: The Verb Rules That Trip You Up

German word order comes down to three verb-position rules: the verb is second in main clauses, last after weil and dass, and time comes before place.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Umlauts & ß: Sounds and Typing

Pronounce ä, ö, ü with the front-tongue, rounded-lips rule, master the ß vs ss spelling, and type every German umlaut on Mac, Windows, and phone.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

Weil vs Denn vs Da: "Because" in German

Weil and da send the verb to the end; denn keeps it in second position. Here's how to pick the right German "because" and place the verb correctly.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Colors: Names, Shades, and Idioms

German colors are adjectives that take endings — say das rote Auto, not das rot Auto. Get the names, shades, the das-Rot rule, and 14 color idioms.

June 5, 2026 5 min read