German words for kitchen utensil materials

The idea

In this set, “der Edelstahl” (stainless steel), “das Silikon” (silicone), “der Kunststoff” (plastic), “das Holz” (wood), “das Glas” (glass as a material), “die Keramik” (ceramic) are taught in one sense each. Learn each noun with its article and the meaning used in this task. The plural column shows a useful plural for that sense; a dash marks a mass noun, nominalized action or form without an ordinary count plural here. Some words have additional meanings outside this scene.

Patterns to compare

German term	Plural in this use	Meaning
der Edelstahl	—	stainless steel
das Silikon	—	silicone
der Kunststoff	die Kunststoffe	plastic
das Holz	—	wood
das Glas	—	glass as a material
die Keramik	—	ceramic

Examples

• Der Griff besteht laut Beschreibung aus Edelstahl.According to the description, the handle is made of stainless steel.
• Die weiche Kante dieses Schabers ist aus Silikon.The soft edge of this scraper is silicone.
• Bei diesem Behälter ist nur der Deckel aus Kunststoff.Only the lid of this container is plastic.
• Das Holz am Stiel ist an einer Stelle dunkel.The wood on the handle is dark at one spot.
• Durch das Glas sieht man den Inhalt deutlich.The contents can be seen clearly through the glass.
• Die Schale aus Keramik steht auf einem Tuch.The ceramic bowl is on a cloth.

Watch out

Do not use “der Edelstahl” and “das Silikon” as interchangeable labels: here they mean stainless steel and silicone. Name the feature you actually mean, and use the examples to separate it from neighboring terms.

Try it yourself

1. Welcher Begriff bedeutet „stainless steel“? Nenne auch den Artikel.

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   der Edelstahl

   der Edelstahl means stainless steel in this set. Keep the article with the noun.

2. Welcher Plural ist für „das Silikon“ angegeben? Erkläre gegebenenfalls den Strich.

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   Für diesen Gebrauch ist kein üblicher Zählplural angegeben.

   —. A dash means that no ordinary count plural is taught for this use.

3. Write in German: The contents can be seen clearly through the glass.

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   Durch das Glas sieht man den Inhalt deutlich.

   Durch das Glas sieht man den Inhalt deutlich. — The contents can be seen clearly through the glass. This example places the word in a complete practical statement or question.

Use it today

Describe one real situation with kitchen utensil materials in three German sentences, using “der Edelstahl”, “das Silikon” and “der Kunststoff” with their articles. Then use one of them in the plural (“die Kunststoffe”).