What does “Rollkragen” mean in German?

Rollkragen means turtleneck, and the word spells out exactly how it works: Rolle is “roll,” Kragen is “collar.” A Rollkragen is a tall tube of fabric at the neck that you roll or fold over — the collar you literally roll. Point at a winter sweater and say the two halves, and most German learners can guess the whole word.

The full word for the garment is Rollkragenpullover (turtleneck sweater), often shortened in speech to Rolli. In the clip, bundling up for a cold German winter, “Das da ist ein Rollkragen” hangs the new word straight on the visible fabric of a coat collar — easier to remember than any list of clothing nouns.