Zeitvertreib

pastime, way of passing the time

noun TSAIT-fer-traip Rare

Usage Note

Zeitvertreib describes an activity done to make time pass more pleasantly rather than out of necessity or deep passion. Zum Zeitvertreib ('to pass the time') is a very common phrase in casual speech.

Examples

"Er liest Kriminalromane zum Zeitvertreib."

Natural Translation

He reads crime novels to pass the time.

Literal Translation

He reads crime-novels for the time-passing.

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 Compound Words: How to Read Any Long Word

Read any long German word by working right-to-left: the last noun sets the meaning and gender, and the small linking letters are just glue. Here's the drill.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Separable Verbs: When the Prefix Splits

German separable verbs split in two: the verb stays near the front and the prefix flies to the end. Learn the stress test and where every piece goes.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

GermanNow

German Two-Way Prepositions: Accusative or Dative?

Use accusative for movement into a place (wohin?) and dative for a fixed location (wo?). Master all nine German two-way prepositions with one simple test.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

Der, Die, Das: Rules to Guess German Gender

German noun gender rules made simple: check the suffix first, then meaning. Endings like -ung, -chen, and -ling predict der, die, or das with ~90% accuracy.

June 5, 2026 6 min read