Your beginner level German textbook probably taught you another word for all the things in your closet, but in day to day conversation you’ll often hear this word instead.
Why do I need to know Klamotten?
Type “clothing” into a translator app and the German word most likely to pop up is Kleidung, but should you find yourself thrift shopping in Berlin you’re more likely to hear people talking about Klamotten.
Because it’s more commonly used by many Germans, you’d be advised to leave your Kleidung at home in the closet and keep Klamotten (pronounced like this) at the ready for most discussions about what you or others are wearing.
What does it mean?
As you’ve surely guessed by now, die Klamotten means clothing.
As opposed to Kleidung, which is the more common translation offered by most language learning textbooks, Klamotten is the more colloquial or informal term.
Some people suggest that Klamotten more specifically refers to very casual clothing: So sweatpants (Jogginghose) might be called Klamotten whereas proper pants (Hose) might be referred to as Kleidung.
Additionally some German speakers feel that, due to its casual nature, Klamotten is best used for dirty or disorganised clothing, such as that which is scattered around the floor, or even left in a heap (or a Klamottenhügel).
But these days many German speakers use Klamotten for clothing generally, without necessarily implying a judgement about the cleanliness or formality of the clothes involved.
In fact, in day to day conversations you’ll likely hear Klamotten more often than Kleidung, though this depends a bit on where you are and what kind of company you keep.
Interestingly, Klamotte originally referred to bits of broken bricks and stones. The term was later extended to other broken and seemingly worthless objects, and then to old, worn out clothing. Eventually it came to be used more and more often without the negative connotation.
Note that die Klamotten is almost always used in its plural form whereas Kleidung is singular.
In this sense you could think of Klamotten as “clothes” whereas Kleidung functions more like “clothing” grammatically. But the terms are effectively interchangeable in casual speech.
Other German terms for clothes
There are at least two other German terms for clothing that are worth knowing.
Die Anziehsachen, which comes from the verb “to put on” (anziehen) and the word for “things” (Sachen), quite literally translates to “the things to put on”. This one makes more sense to use in some specific cases, for example if you’re talking about what you’ve packed for a trip.
Also, mainly for those living in southern Germany or Austria, there’s also Das Gewand. This one is really just another word for Kleidung or Klamotten. Bavarians love having their own words for things.
Use it like this:
Ich werde die alten Klamotten, die nicht mehr passen, wegwerfen.
I will throw away the old clothes that no longer fit.
Ich wasche neue Klamotten nie, bevor ich sie anziehe.
I never bother to wash new clothes before I wear them.
“Wow, coole Klamotten! Wo hast du die gefunden?”
“Wow cool clothes! Where did you find those?”
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