Schminke

See also: schminke

German

Etymology

An originally Central and Low German word, from late Middle High German smicke, smyncke (“make-up”), Middle Low German sminke. Further origin uncertain, but probably related with schmeichen, Middle Low German smēken (“to spread, stroke”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʃmɪŋkə/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

Schminke f (genitive Schminke, plural Schminken)

1. make-up

   Synonym: Make-up

   Ich gehe immer ohne Schminke zur Arbeit.

   I always go to work with no make-up on.

Usage notes

• Schminke and Make-up are principally synonymous, but the former is more likely to be used referring to the cosmetic substances, whereas Make-up is more likely to refer to the look that these substances create. Moreover, only Schminke is typically used in the context of carnival costumes and the like.

Declension

Declension of Schminke [feminine]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	eine	die	Schminke	die	Schminken
genitive	einer	der	Schminke	der	Schminken
dative	einer	der	Schminke	den	Schminken
accusative	eine	die	Schminke	die	Schminken

Related terms

• schminken
• ungeschminkt
• abschminken
• Schminkkoffer

Descendants

• → Danish: sminke
• → Dutch: schmink
• → Esperanto: ŝminko
• → Hungarian: smink
• → Macedonian: шминка (šminka)
• → Norwegian: sminke
• → Polish: szminka
• → Serbo-Croatian: šminka, шминка
• → Slovene: šminka
• → Swedish: smink

Further reading

• “Schminke” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “Schminke” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
• “Schminke” in Duden online