Mentalität

mentality, mindset, outlook

noun men-tah-lee-TAET Rare

Origin: from Latin via French

Usage Note

Mentalität typically describes the collective or habitual way of thinking of a group or individual. It often collocates with national or cultural contexts — die deutsche Mentalität — but also describes an individual's entrenched outlook, usually less flexible than a deliberate attitude.

Examples

"Eine Mentalität des Misstrauens lässt echte Zusammenarbeit kaum zu."

Natural Translation

A mentality of distrust hardly allows genuine cooperation.

Literal Translation

A mentality of distrust lets genuine cooperation barely happen.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

Du vs. Sie: When to Use Each in German

Use Sie with strangers, elders, and at work; use du with friends, family, kids, and peers. Here's how to pick the right German you every time.

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

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 Cases Explained Simply (4 Cases)

German has four cases, and each answers one question: wer, wen, wem, wessen. Learn nominative, accusative, dative, and genitive without drowning in charts.

June 5, 2026 6 min read