elf

Meaning in English

1. eleven (the number 11)

   • Example meaning: “Elf” is used for counting, dates, times, quantities, etc.

2. Elf (mythical being; less common in everyday German)

   • In German, the more usual word for the fantasy creature is der Elf (male) / die Elfe (female).
   • The form Elf can appear as the masculine noun (der Elf), especially in fantasy contexts.

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Parts / Word structure

• As “elf” = eleven: a simple number word (not transparently divisible into meaningful parts in modern German).
• As “der Elf” = an elf: a noun; singular der Elf, plural usually die Elfen.

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German synonyms

For “elf” = eleven:

• No true synonyms; possible paraphrases:
  • die Zahl 11 (the number 11)
  • ein Dutzend minus eins (a dozen minus one)

For “der Elf” = elf (mythical being):

• der Elf / die Elfe (standard forms)
• Sometimes related/overlapping (depending on context): Fabelwesen (mythical creature), Naturgeist (nature spirit)

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German antonyms

For “elf” = eleven:

• No direct antonym (numbers generally don’t have antonyms).

For “der Elf” = elf:

• No fixed antonym; in fantasy contexts, opposites depend on the story world (e.g., “good vs. evil”), so there isn’t a standard German antonym.