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Word of the Week

Beatrice Warken / kbmApril 10, 2015

How did you spend your last big birthday?

https://p.dw.com/p/1F5qM
"50" birthday candles on a cupcake, Copyright: Fotolia/Lucky Dragon
Image: Fotolia/Lucky Dragon

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Some plan it months in advance; for others turning 30, 40 or 50 is a day like any other. In German, there's actually a verb for having a big birthday. "Nullen" literally means "to zero."

While concluding a decade can be a joyous occasion, it can bring mixed emotions the higher the other digits get. However, once you reach 100, it's no longer referred to as "nullen" because then you've got two zeroes instead of one. Now that's something to celebrate!