Elektro-SUV GLC: Bremer Mercedes-Werk vor Verbrenner-Aus?
B2 German listening practice · German · Curated for upper-intermediate learners
What does “den Geist der Zeit getroffen” mean in German?
A reporter opens the story about a new Mercedes electric SUV by saying the carmaker “hat den Geist der Zeit getroffen” — hit the spirit of the time. It is a warm, slightly impressed way to say the car arrived at exactly the right moment and matched what buyers wanted. The proof follows straight away: it was ordered more than any other Mercedes electric car in its first three months.
Spoken in the clip: “Mit diesem Auto haben sie offenbar den Geist der Zeit getroffen.” — “With this car they have clearly hit the spirit of the time.” “Geist” is spirit or mind, “Zeit” is time, and “treffen” here means to hit the mark. Together they say something fits exactly what people want now. More examples: “Die Serie hat den Geist der Zeit getroffen” (the show captured the mood of the moment). “Mit dieser Idee triffst du den Geist der Zeit” (your idea is just right for now). Often used to praise; “offenbar” softens the claim to “apparently, by the looks of it.”
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Source: wordfreq 3.1.1 (general) · SUBTLEX-DE 2011 (spoken). Buckets approximate; exact ranks not stored.