nounnoun

der Gast, ¨-e

guest

Eine Person, die zu Besuch kommt oder an einem Ort willkommen ist, der nicht ihr eigener ist.

Definition & meaning

Gast means guest: a person who is invited to or received at someone’s home, an event, or an institution.

It can also mean:

A customer or patron in a restaurant, hotel, or similar business.
Die Gäste warten auf ihr Essen. — “The guests are waiting for their food.”
A visitor or participant appearing temporarily on a program, at an event, or in an organization.
Heute ist ein berühmter Gast in der Sendung. — “A famous guest is on the program today.”
In compounds, it can refer to a temporary foreign worker or visitor, as in , literally “guest worker.”

Grammar & Word origin

Masculine noun:
Plural:
Genitive singular:
Dative singular: or , with the latter being formal or archaic

The plural vowel change from a to ä is an example of an umlaut: → .

The word comes from Old High German gast and is related to English “guest.” It ultimately refers to a person who is received or accommodated by others.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

— “visitor”; emphasizes someone who visits a place, rather than someone who is hosted or invited.
— “invitee”; specifically someone who has been invited.
— “customer”; appropriate in a restaurant, hotel, or shop, but not necessarily someone visiting socially.
— “participant”; suitable when the person takes part in an event or activity.

Antonyms and contrasting terms

There is no exact antonym for Gast. The usual contrasting role is:

— “host,” the person who receives or accommodates the guest.
— “local” or “native resident”; contrasts with a guest when discussing someone who is only temporarily present.
— “resident”; contrasts with a guest in places such as hotels, where one person lives there and the other is only visiting.