German word

scheren

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈʃeːʁən/

Meaning

  • verbshear

Example

Der Schäfer schert die Schafe.

The shepherd shears the sheep.

Illustration for scheren (shear)

More examples

Beim Friseur ließ er sich die Haare scheren.

At the hairdresser's, he had his hair cut.

Core concept

Shears or a clipper sweep across hair or wool until only a short covering remains.

Common phrases

  • sich den Bart scheren

    shave one's beard

  • die Haare scheren

    cut one's hair

  • mit der Schermaschine scheren

    cut with clippers

Similar words

schneiden: Cut something into pieces or sections with scissors or a knife.
rasieren: Remove hair very close to the skin with a razor or electric shaver.
trimmen: Cut hair slightly to give it a desired length or shape.
abschneiden: Cut through an attached part so it becomes separate.

Definition in German

Scheren heißt, mit einem Schneidewerkzeug Haare oder Wolle kurz zu entfernen.

Word origin

German scheren developed from the Old High German verb sceran, an inherited Germanic word related to English shear.

Usage tips

  • In sich um etwas scheren, the verb means 'care about' rather than 'cut', especially in sich nicht darum scheren.

Other meanings

  • shaveverb

Opposites

Related words

  • geschorenshornadjective
  • Schermaschinehair clippersnoun
  • abscherenshear offverb

Word lists with this word