B1 Formal Emotions

„Er hat Anstoß genommen."

He was offended.

Er hat Anstoß genommen. — German idiom meaning: He was offended. (B1)
Er hat Anstoß genommen. — German idiom reference | DeuTale

What does „Er hat Anstoß genommen." mean in German?

„Er hat Anstoß genommen." means "He was offended.." Literally: "He took offense.."

Literal Translation

"He took offense."

Er He
hat took
Anstoß offense
genommen —

English Equivalent

"He took offense."

This English idiom conveys the same meaning as the German expression.

Grammar Notes

'Anstoß nehmen' = to take offense

When is this idiom used?

Formal

This expression is used in formal or literary German, often found in written texts and speeches.

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