German word

streuen

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈʃtʁɔɪ̯ən/

Meaning

  • verbscatter

Example

Er streut Salz auf die Straße.

He is scattering salt on the road.

Illustration for streuen (scatter)

More examples

Er streut Gerüchte über seinen Kollegen.

He spreads rumors about his colleague.

Core concept

Small grains fall from a hand and form an even layer across a surface.

Common phrases

  • Salz streuen

    sprinkle salt

  • Samen streuen

    scatter seeds

  • Gerüchte streuen

    spread rumors

Similar words

bestreuen: Cover food or a dish with a thin layer of salt or powder.
verstreuen: Scatter powder or small objects loosely in different directions.
ausstreuen: Spread powder or grains over a broad area such as a floor or field.
säen: Scatter seeds over soil for planting.

Definition in German

ein Verb, das etwas in kleinen Teilchen gleichmäßig auf eine Oberfläche verteilt

Word origin

Streuen is an inherited Germanic verb related to English strew and originally referred to scattering material such as seed or straw.

Usage tips

  • For covering a surface, German often uses etwas mit Salz bestreuen, while auf etwas streuen focuses on where the material is scattered.

Other meanings

  • sprinkleverb
  • spreadverb

Opposites

Related words

  • Streuungscatteringnoun
  • verstreuendisperseverb
  • Streuershakernoun

Word lists with this word