Bube

German

Alternative forms

Bub (southern)

Etymology

From Middle High German buobe (“knave”), from Old High German Buobo, a male name of unknown meaning. Cognate with Dutch boef (“villain”). Probably also related to boy; see there for more.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /buːbə/
Audio (file)

Noun

Bube m (genitive Buben, plural Buben, diminutive Bübchen n or Büblein n or Bübelein n or Bübele n)

knave; jack (playing card)
(regional, southern Germany, Austria, Switzerland) boy; lad
(regional, northern and central Germany) rogue; villain; naughty boy

Usage notes

In northern and central Germany, the word is now used almost exclusively for the playing card. The southern sense “boy” is understood but not used. The older regional sense “rogue, villain” has become chiefly restricted to the diminutive Bübchen or to fixed combinations and compounds (böser Bube, Bubenstreich, Spitzbube, etc.).

Declension

Declension of Bube

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Bube	die	Buben
genitive	eines	des	Buben	der	Buben
dative	einem	dem	Buben	den	Buben
accusative	einen	den	Buben	die	Buben

Synonyms

(jack): Bauer
(boy): Junge, Knabe
(rogue): Gauner; Schlingel; Schuft

Antonyms

(by gender) Mädchen, Mädel (colloquial)
(by age) Mann, Greis

Derived terms

Spitzbube
Kreuzbube
Pikbube
Herzbube
Karobube

Descendants

→ Esperanto: bubo
→ Ido: bubo