Zeitgeist (pronounced [ˈt͡saɪtgaɪst] (help·info)) is originally a German expression that means "the spirit of the age", literally translated as time (Zeit), spirit (Geist)". In some countries it has a different meaning; e.g. in the Netherlands Zeitgeist literally refers to the mind of the time (tijdsgeest), and mind is understood as the mental spirit (state of mind). The word zeitgeist describes the intellectual and cultural climate of an era. In German, the word has more layers of meaning than the English translation, including the fact that Zeitgeist can only be observed for past events.