"Sturmfrei" is German for "storm-free." It may have started out as a military term, describing a fortress or other well-protected place that couldn't be stormed—couldn't be taken over by force.

As nice as it is to be safe in your fortress where no enemies can barge in and take over, it's even nicer to be home alone by yourself with no housemates barging in and taking over. And so, some German speakers use "sturmfrei" as a slang term to mean "peacefully alone at home, unbothered by anyone else." And some English speakers have adopted that meaning. We can't help it; we have to pick up German words that we find quirky and untranslatable.

So even though "sturmfrei" is extremely rare in English, you can talk about having, say, a sturmfrei day or a sturmfrei apartment when you're alone at home, enjoying the peace and quiet of no one else being there to interrupt you. 

More often than using "sturmfrei" as an adjective, speakers use it as a noun: to have sturmfrei is to have the house to yourself.

Parts of speech:

Most often a noun: "I've got sturmfrei all day tomorrow."

Also an adjective: "a sturmfrei apartment."

Other forms: 

None.

how to use it:

Although "sturmfrei" is so rare in English that you won't even find it in English dictionaries (at least, not in 2024), it's pretty easy to understand, since it sounds like, and kinda sorta means, "storm-free" or "storm-freedom."

So when you need a weird and whimsical word for the wonderful situation of being alone at home, doing whatever you want in absolute peace, call it sturmfrei.

Talk about having sturmfrei: "Do you have sturmfrei today?" "I love having sturmfrei."

examples:

"Last month, I started rewatching Fullmetal Alchemist while I had sturmfrei."
 — Nitro_Indigo, Reddit, 2017

"I sent this to my mom when she asked if everything is alright at home."

— -Xerim-, Reddit, 2014

has this page helped you understand "sturmfrei"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this term, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "sturmfrei" without saying "having the house to yourself" or "the luxury of privacy."

try it out:

I'm a homebody, so I love sturmfrei. I'd put it in my top five favorite luxuries:
   5. working at home,
   4. shopping online at home,
   3. bringing takeout food home,
   2. having sturmfrei,
   and 1. spending vacation time at home.

Would you put sturmfrei on your own list of top five favorite luxuries? Why or why not?

If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.)

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for this month is "Spot the Sharper Image."

Which of the two items described below is a real one that you can order from the Sharper Image catalog, and which one did I invent? Scroll to the bottom to see which one is real!

Try this set today:

Item A: Face-Identifying Glasses with In-Ear Speaker. "Say goodbye to the constant struggle of calling your grandchildren by the wrong name."

Item B: Motorized T. Rex Pool Float. "Sure to grab attention with joystick controls, push-button thrust and a 3-blade propeller powered by a 66-Watt motor."

review this word:

1. The opposite of having STURMFREI would be

A. having fame and fortune.
B. having lots of housemates hanging around you.
C. having the constant hassle of paying late fees and junk fees.

2. It's a trope in shows and movies: when teenagers have sturmfrei, with _____, they _____.

A. adult actors portraying them .. exude wit and self-assurance
B. no parents around for the weekend .. throw a raging house party
C. extreme self-consciousness .. fake sick to stay home on a bad hair day

Answers to the review questions: 1. B 2. B Answer to the game question: You truly can order a Motorized T. Rex Pool Float from the Sharper Image catalog.

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From my blog: On vocabulary...       36 ways to study words.       Why we forget words, & how to remember them.       How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. On writing...       How to improve any sentence.       How to motivate our kids to write.       How to stop procrastinating and start writing.       How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count. From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.