Feeling slow and sluggish in these hot late summer days? You're not alone – and we have the perfect German word for you.
Why do I need to know Hundstage?
Die Hundstage, which sounds like this, is a colloquial word that refers to the hottest summer period in Europe, roughly between July 23rd and August 23rd.
What does it mean?
Hundstage literally means 'dog days', an expression that you may already be familiar with. In fact, most languages have their own term.
The origin of the expression comes from Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, also known as the Dog Star (or Hundsstern auf Deutsch) because it belongs to the constellation Canis Major (Greater Dog).
In ancient Greece and Rome, Sirius rose alongside the sun during the height of summer. At the time people believed it added to the sun's heat, bringing scorching temperatures, drought and storms.
The expression dog days, along with its German counterpart Hundstage, come from this tradition.
Because of the slow wobble of the Earth's axis over thousands of years, Sirius no longer rises with the sun during this period.
Even so, the name has stuck, and Germans still use Hundstage to describe the late part of summer (as do many other cultures).
Are these really the hottest days of summer?
Given that Germany has seen extremely hot days since June this year, you may be wondering if the late summer period really is the warmest time.
According to a German media report, the dog days have been the hottest period of the summer in 37 percent of years in southern Germany, whereas in the east, this figure stands at 30 percent.
However, meteorologists point out that the Earth's surface and oceans take time to warm up.
So when the soil and water fully absorb the sun's energy and release it back into the surrounding environment in late summer, it can feel super hot and uncomfortable.
That's why the Hundstage may feel like the sluggish and hottest period of the year even if the records don't always show that.
How to use it:
Diese Hundstage sind unerträglich heiß.
These dog days are unbearably hot.
Wie verbringst du die Hundstage des Sommers?
How are you spending the dog days of summer?
