Prägezeit

formative period

noun PRAE-ge-tsayt Rare

Also means

time that shapes the mind

Usage Note

Prägezeit refers to the period in a person's life -- often childhood or adolescence -- that most strongly shapes their personality, values, and cognitive patterns. The verb prägen (to shape/stamp) underlies the concept.

Examples

"Die Erlebnisse der Prägezeit hinterlassen bleibende Spuren im Gedächtnis."

Natural Translation

The experiences of the formative period leave lasting traces in the memory.

Literal Translation

The experiences of-the formative-period leave lasting traces in the memory.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

German Body Parts: Vocabulary + How to Say It Hurts

Learn German body parts with der/die/das and plurals, plus the two ways to say something hurts: Mir tut der Kopf weh and Ich habe Kopfschmerzen.

June 9, 2026 5 min read

GermanNow

German Days, Months & Seasons (am, im & -tag)

Days of the week in German use am, months and seasons use im — plus the -tag pattern, capitalized nouns, and how to build a real sentence with a day.

June 5, 2026 4 min read

GermanNow

German Compound Words: How to Read Any Long Word

Read any long German word by working right-to-left: the last noun sets the meaning and gender, and the small linking letters are just glue. Here's the drill.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Adjective Endings Made Simple

German adjective endings come down to one question, not three tables: does the article already show gender and case? If yes, the adjective stays lazy.

June 5, 2026 6 min read