🇩🇪German Source WordCode: DE

das Alter geht vor

Native Script:Das Alter geht vor.

Pronunciation / Transliteration: das ˈaltɐ ɡeːt foːɐ̯

🇬🇧 Direct English Meaning:
Age-before-beauty/eɪdʒ bɪˈfɔːr ˈbjuː.ti/
idiominterjectionCEFR C2 (Proficient)Top #14500 frequency
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🇩🇪 Example Sentence in German:

"Gehen Sie nur rein, das Alter geht vor."

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

1 sense
As interjection
  1. 1

    A humorous or polite formula used to invite an older person to go first, acknowledging their seniority over youth or appearance.

    "As they reached the narrow doorway, he stepped back, smiled, and said, 'Age before beauty,' gesturing for her to enter."

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Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Originating in late 19th-century British slang, this humorous idiom emerged as a playful, slightly ironic polite formula. It reflects traditional social hierarchies prioritizing seniority over physical appearance or youth when granting precedence, such as entering a doorway or being served first.

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