German Conversation · Level 9
87 words
German word
Stein
Pronunciation
IPA/ʃtaɪ̯n/
Meaning
- masculine nounstone
Example
Das Kind wirft Steine ins Wasser.
The child throws stones into the water.
More examples
Nach bestandener Prüfung fiel mir ein Stein vom Herzen.
After passing the exam, I felt a weight lift off my heart.
Core concept
A hard, weighty piece of rock held in the hand, with the same word also used for a traditional stoneware beer mug.
Common phrases
ein Stein vom Herzen fallen
feel a weight lift off one's heart
den Stein aus dem Weg räumen
remove a stone from one's path
Similar words
Kiesel: A small, rounded pebble, often smooth and easy to hold.
Steinchen: A casual everyday term for a very small stone.
Brocken: A fairly large, chunky piece of hard rock.
Definition in German
Stein bezeichnet ein festes, kompaktes Einzelstück aus Gestein oder Mineralien, das sich deutlich von Erde oder Sand abhebt.
Word origin
German Stein continues Old High German stein and Proto-Germanic *stainaz, making it cognate with English stone.
Usage tips
- Stein is masculine: der Stein, den Stein, and plural die Steine, while the genitive singular is des Steins.
Other meanings
- beer mugnoun
Related words
- Steinchenpebblenoun
- SteinzeitStone Agenoun