Polyglot Dictionary

Scharlatan

/ˈʃarlataːn/

der noun B2

der (masc.) die (fem.) das (neut.)

Underline = a spelling pattern that usually signals that gender.

N Register Neutral Era Current Frequency Common Domain General Tone Neutral

Forms

plural
die Scharlatane

Meaning

  1. charlatan, fraud (someone who deceptively claims expertise)

    • Der Scharlatan versprach eine Wunderheilung.

      The charlatan promised a miracle cure.

N Category Thing Concreteness Concrete Animacy Inanimate Countability Countable Scope Individual

Usage notes

A classic loanword (from Italian via French), used for someone — often a fake doctor or healer — who deceives people by pretending to have skills they don't have. Common in formal or journalistic register.

Practice

1 What does Scharlatan mean?

2 Fill the gap: Der ___ versprach eine Wunderheilung.

3 Which fingerprint chart matches Scharlatan?

noun

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