Significado
To be skilled at gardening and making plants grow well.
Contexto cultural
The 'Schrebergarten' is a cultural icon. These small gardens have strict rules about how much space must be used for non-decorative plants (like vegetables). Having a green thumb is essential for following these rules. In Alpine regions, window boxes with red geraniums are a point of pride. A 'green thumb' here often refers specifically to the ability to keep these flowers blooming all summer despite mountain weather. Urban gardening is very popular in cities like Zurich. People use 'einen grünen Daumen' to describe those who can turn a concrete balcony into a lush vegetable patch. The 'Millennial Plant Parent' trend has made this phrase very popular among younger Germans on social media, often used ironically when a plant survives for more than a week.
Use it as a compliment
It's one of the safest and nicest compliments you can give a German homeowner.
Don't say 'Green Finger'
Even though it works in the UK, Germans will look at your fingers confusedly.
Significado
To be skilled at gardening and making plants grow well.
Use it as a compliment
It's one of the safest and nicest compliments you can give a German homeowner.
Don't say 'Green Finger'
Even though it works in the UK, Germans will look at your fingers confusedly.
Negation
Use 'keinen' to sound natural when admitting you're bad with plants.
Ponte a prueba
Fill in the correct form of the idiom.
Meine Tante liebt ihren Garten. Sie hat ___ ___ ___.
The object must be in the accusative masculine form.
Which sentence is correct?
How do you say 'I don't have a green thumb'?
Use 'haben' and the negation 'keinen' for masculine accusative nouns.
Match the response to the situation.
Your friend shows you her 50 healthy indoor plants. What do you say?
This is the standard compliment for someone with many healthy plants.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Warum sind deine Blumen alle tot? B: Ich weiß auch nicht. Ich habe wohl ___.
If the plants are dead, the person lacks the 'green thumb'.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Ayudas visuales
Banco de ejercicios
4 ejerciciosMeine Tante liebt ihren Garten. Sie hat ___ ___ ___.
The object must be in the accusative masculine form.
How do you say 'I don't have a green thumb'?
Use 'haben' and the negation 'keinen' for masculine accusative nouns.
Your friend shows you her 50 healthy indoor plants. What do you say?
This is the standard compliment for someone with many healthy plants.
A: Warum sind deine Blumen alle tot? B: Ich weiß auch nicht. Ich habe wohl ___.
If the plants are dead, the person lacks the 'green thumb'.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Preguntas frecuentes
5 preguntasNo, there is no 'red thumb' or 'blue thumb' in German. It is always green.
It is {der|m} Daumen (masculine).
No, the idiom is always singular: 'einen grünen Daumen'.
Only if the job is related to gardening or plants. Otherwise, use 'Händchen für...'.
There isn't a single word, but people say 'kein Händchen für Pflanzen haben'.
Frases relacionadas
ein Händchen für etwas haben
similarTo have a knack for something.
Gartenarbeit leisten
builds onTo do gardening work.
alles eingehen lassen
contrastTo let everything wither/die.
Naturfreund sein
similarTo be a nature lover.
