“When your parents are away, and you have the whole house to yourself.”
Now, in English, we would probably just say “party time” or “home alone,” but sturmfrei takes it to the next level: it’s basically equivalent to the saying, “When the cat’s away, the mice will play.”
“Finally, Friday afternoon! Sturmfrei for the whole weekend,” cheered Lina, flipping through the pages of her planner.
The German word “Sturmfrei” literally translates to “storm-free” and has two main areas of usage.
1. Historical Context:
In its original and historical sense, Sturmfrei refers to the ability of a fortification to withstand a siege or assault. A castle or fort could be described as Sturmfrei if its design and construction made it nearly impossible to capture through a direct attack.
2. Modern Colloquial Use:
The more common meaning of Sturmfrei today is informal and describes a situation where someone has a place to themselves. This is often used in reference to being home alone, particularly for teenagers or young adults who are free from parental supervision. Here, Sturmfrei translates to having “uninterrupted time” or being “alone in the house.”
Examples with Sturmfrei (German – English):
- Nach der Schule ist die Wohnung bis Abend sturmfrei. (After school, the apartment is mine until evening.)
- Wir können heute Abend laut Musik hören, es ist sturmfrei. (We can listen to loud music tonight, it’s all clear.)
- Ich putze lieber, wenn es sturmfrei ist. (I prefer to clean when I have the place to myself.)
- Sturmfrei zu haben, ist manchmal ganz schön entspannend. (Having the place to myself is sometimes quite relaxing.)
- Geht ihr raus, wenn es am Wochenende sturmfrei ist? (Do you go out when you have the house to yourself on weekends?)
- Ich kann endlich ungestört lernen, jetzt ist sturmfrei. (I can finally study uninterrupted, now it’s all clear.)
- Backen macht am meisten Spaß, wenn die Küche sturmfrei ist. (Baking is most fun when the kitchen is all mine.)
- Kannst du aufräumen, wenn du morgen sturmfrei hast? (Can you clean up tomorrow when you have the place to yourself?)
- Lisa freut sich auf ein sturffreies Wochenende mit ihren Freundinnen. (Lisa is looking forward to a girls’ weekend with no interruptions.)
- Sturmfrei zu haben, bedeutet nicht, dass man Party machen muss. (Having the place to yourself doesn’t mean you have to party.)
- Manchmal brauche ich einfach etwas Zeit sturmfrei, um nachzudenken. (Sometimes I just need some alone time to think.)
- Wenn du sturmfrei hast, kannst du ja den Rasen mähen. (If you have the house to yourself, you could mow the lawn.)
- Sturmfrei ist die perfekte Gelegenheit, ein langes Bad zu nehmen. (Having the place to yourself is the perfect opportunity for a long bath.)
- Ich rufe lieber an, wenn du nicht sturmfrei hast. (I’ll call you when you’re not busy/alone.)
- Fragt lieber erst, bevor ihr annehmt, dass jemand sturmfrei hat. (It’s better to ask first before assuming someone is alone.)
- Haustiere können manchmal die sturffreie Zeit stören. (Pets can sometimes disrupt your alone time.)
- Genieße die sturffreie Zeit, sie kommt nicht so oft vor. (Enjoy your alone time, it doesn’t come around that often.)
- Mit etwas Planung kann man auch mit Mitbewohnern sturmfrei haben. (With a little planning, you can even have some alone time with roommates.)
- Sturmfrei zu sein, ist ein bisschen wie Freiheit. (Having the place to yourself is a bit like freedom.)
- Manchmal vermisst man sogar die Zeit, in der man nicht sturmfrei hatte. (Sometimes you even miss the time when you weren’t alone.)