Breakdown of Der Föhn steht im Bad neben der Dusche.
stehen
to stand
im
in the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
neben
next to
die Dusche
the shower
Questions & Answers about Der Föhn steht im Bad neben der Dusche.
What does Föhn mean here, and does it have other meanings?
In this sentence der Föhn means the hairdryer.
German uses Föhn (or Fön) as a common word for a hairdryer.
It also has another meaning:
- der Föhn = a warm, dry wind in the Alps (the “Foehn wind”)
Both are masculine (der Föhn), so you need the context to know which one is meant. In a bathroom context, it’s clearly the hairdryer.
Why is it der Föhn and not das Föhn or die Föhn?
Because Föhn is grammatically masculine in German.
- Masculine: der Föhn
- Feminine: die …
- Neuter: das …
You simply have to learn the gender of each noun with its article:
- der Föhn (hairdryer / foehn wind) – masculine
- die Dusche (shower) – feminine
- das Bad (bathroom / bath) – neuter
Can Föhn also be written as Fön? Is there a difference?