gemein
German, adjective/ɡəˈmaɪ̯n/
gemein is spelled G-E-M-E-I-N (6 letters) and appears 14 times per million words in written German, the 5,262nd most frequent German word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). Gemein is a German adjective meaning “mean, nasty, wicked” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The German Wiktionary defines it as “eine Eigenschaft habend, die mehreren gemeinsam ist”.
What does gemein mean in English?
adjective
- 1
colloquialmean, nasty, wicked
- 2
datedordinary, common, average
- 3
datedbase, vile, vulgar
- 4
datedhaving a characteristic in common
adverb
- 1
very; intensely
- 2
colloquialwicked, beastly, awfully, awful
Es ist gemein kalt heute draußen.
Source: English Wiktionary, German section, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
How German dictionaries define it
adjective: 1. eine Eigenschaft habend, die mehreren gemeinsam ist 2. einfach und gewöhnlich; nicht besser als der Durchschnitt 3. vulgär; von niederer Gesinnung 4. dem anderen übelwollend, fies, schofel
noun: 1. bei den Landsknechten der frühen Neuzeit eine Vollversammlung aller Söldner, die zu einem „Haufen“ gehörten 2. Ort oder Gemeinde
The definition in the German Wiktionary, in German.
Source: German Wiktionary, dump of September 1, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org.
Forms of gemein
- gemeiner masculine nominative singular
- am gemeinsten superlative
- gemeine feminine nominative singular
- gemeines neuter nominative singular
- gemeinen genitive masculine singular
- gemeinem dative masculine singular
- der gemeine definite includes-article masculine
- die gemeine definite feminine includes-article
- das gemeine definite includes-article neuter
- die gemeinen definite includes-article nominative
- des gemeinen definite genitive includes-article
- der gemeinen definite feminine genitive
- dem gemeinen dative definite includes-article
- Gemeinen nominative plural
- Gemeinden nominative plural
Source: English Wiktionary and German Wiktionary (dumps of September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2026).
How do you pronounce gemein?
- /ɡəˈmaɪ̯n/
- [ɡəˈmaɪ̯n]
Sources: English Wiktionary, German Wiktionary (dumps of September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2026); recordings from Wikimedia Commons.
English words that translate to gemein
Source: the translation tables of the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026.
How common is gemein in German?
gemein appears 14 times per million words in written German.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).