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German word of the day: Der Fehlkauf

Sophie Shanahan
Sophie Shanahan - [email protected]
German word of the day: Der Fehlkauf
Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond

This useful word literally means a faulty purchase, and describes something you have bought in good faith that has gone on to disappoint you.

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If you have ever come home from the shops, only to realise that you have bought something completely different to what you wanted, there’s of course a word for it in German: a Fehlkauf. 

This disappointment comes in a number of forms. You would not only describe something as a Fehlkauf if it turns out to be different to what you hoped, but also if it was overly expensive or not fit for its designated purpose. 

The Fehlkauf is becoming more and more common with the rise of online shopping. When you cannot see a product in person before you buy it, you may be disappointed when what arrives on your doorstep is not quite what you expected.

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If the new shoes you splashed out on and eagerly waited days to arrive turn out to be incredibly uncomfortable and leave you with painful blisters, they would definitely be a Fehlkauf. You would just have to cross your fingers that there was still time to return them. 

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Sometimes you may not realise something is a Fehlkauf until months after purchasing it, and it may have initially been bought with good intentions.

For example, think of the droves of people who decided to spend their cash on home gym equipment during the pandemic, with the intention of using their extra time to finally improve their health and fitness.

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It is easy to imagine that, months later, many of these dumbbells and yoga mats are gathering dust in corners, not touched since the early weeks of the first lockdown. What was originally intended as a healthy, sensible purchase has slowly morphed into a Fehlkauf

Examples:

Mit dieser Kaffeemaschine habe ich bestimmt einen Fehlkauf getätigt.

I definitely made a mistake in buying this coffee machine. 

Das Risiko eines Fehlkaufs ist wegen Onlineshopping deutlich höher als in vergangenen Jahren.

The risk of a bad purchase is much higher than it was in previous years because of online shopping. 

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