What does “Geschmackssache” mean in German?

Moskau versus Berlin: ein Vergleich der beiden Hauptstädte

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B1 German listening practice · German · Picked for people who know some

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Geschmackssache
When Germans say "that's just my take"
“A matter of taste” — when there’s no right answer, people just like different things.

Comparing Moscow and Berlin, the speaker admits he likes Moscow’s sights more — then adds, “Aber es ist wohl Geschmackssache.” It’s his polite way of saying: that’s just my opinion, you might feel the other way. Germans use Geschmackssache to step back from a strong preference so no one has to argue. The next line even plays on it: some things, he says, are NOT a matter of taste.

In the clip he says: “Aber es ist wohl Geschmackssache.” — “But it’s probably a matter of taste.” It literally joins Geschmack (taste/flavour) and Sache (thing), so “a taste-thing.” You use it when two opinions are both fine and there’s no real winner. Examples: - “Welche Stadt schöner ist? Geschmackssache.” — “Which city is nicer? A matter of taste.” - “Manche mögen Tee, manche Kaffee — reine Geschmackssache.” — “Some like tea, some coffee — purely a matter of taste.” - “Das Design finde ich hässlich, aber das ist Geschmackssache.” — “I find the design ugly, but that’s a matter of taste.” Note: it’s often used to close a friendly debate, the same way English says “to each their own.”

How common are the words?

How common are the words in this B1 German listening practice video?

87.9%
of words are in the top 2,000 most common German words
Most of the words in this video are common German words.

How common in written German

83.9%
Top 1,000
87.9%
Top 2,000
95.4%
Top 5,000

How common in spoken German

88.5%
Top 1,000
93.2%
Top 2,000
100%
Top 5,000
👄 Words for talking
This video uses words people often say in German.

Harder words in this video

These words are harder than B1. Here is what they mean.

geschmackssache
2×
Not in top 5,000
matter of taste
berlinern
1×
Not in top 5,000
to speak with Berlin accent
eingeblendeten
1×
Not in top 5,000
faded in; displayed
flughafenzügen
1×
Not in top 5,000
airport trains
hauptschätze
1×
Not in top 5,000
main treasures

Source: wordfreq 3.1.1 (general) · SUBTLEX-DE 2011 (spoken). These numbers are close, not perfect.

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