Vocabulary
das
Milieu
/miˈli̯øː/· noun· Pl. die Milieus
(social) milieu, background, environment; (criminal) underworld
Das Milieu — the social world someone comes from or lives in: das Arbeitermilieu, das akademische Milieu. Das Milieu on its own often means the red-light and criminal scene.
CEFR C1Frequency ●●●●●
Your memory
New
Learning
Familiar
Strong
Mastered
Forms
- Singular
- das Milieu
- Plural
- die Milieus
- Genitiv
- des Milieus
One word, many lives
Tap a meaning. Real German isn't a dictionary translation.
Milieu
social milieu, background
Sie stammt aus einem Arbeitermilieu und hat als Erste in der Familie studiert.
She comes from a working-class background and was the first in her family to go to university.
Word family
Milieuder Milieuschutzprotection of a neighbourhood's social mix (planning law)milieubedingtdue to one's social environmentdas Arbeitermilieuthe working-class milieu
Common combinations
- aus einem bürgerlichen Milieu stammento come from a middle-class background
- das soziale Milieuthe social milieu
- im kriminellen Milieuin the criminal underworld
Common learner mistakes
- Wir müssen das Milieu besser schützen.Wir müssen die Umwelt besser schützen.Milieu is the social environment someone lives in; the natural environment is die Umwelt.
Real examples
- Die Parteien erreichen viele soziale Milieus kaum noch.The parties hardly reach many social milieus any more.
- Ob jemand studiert, hängt in Deutschland stark vom Milieu der Eltern ab.Whether someone goes to university in Germany depends heavily on their parents' social background.
- Der Roman spielt im Milieu der Wiener Kaffeehausliteraten.The novel is set among the Viennese coffee-house writers.
