01
der Aal
eel
A long, snake-like fish that lives in fresh and salt water and is often used as a food fish.
example
In Norddeutschland isst man gerne geräucherten Aal.
In northern Germany, people like to eat smoked eel.
der Aal
eel
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Context clue
If you hear or read the word 'glatt' (smooth/slippery) near 'Aal' (eel), the figurative meaning is almost always meant: a person who is hard to pin down. Without 'glatt', it is normally about the fish.
EXAMPLE
Er hat auf keine Frage direkt geantwortet, er ist wirklich glatt wie ein Aal.
He didn't answer any question directly; he really is slippery as an eel.
Typical collocations
As a food fish, 'Aal' (eel) is often mentioned in certain combinations. Typical ones are 'geräucherter Aal' (smoked eel) or verbs like 'Aal fangen' (to catch eel) and 'Aal essen' (to eat eel).
EXAMPLE
Auf dem Markt kauften wir frischen, geräucherten Aal.
At the market, we bought fresh smoked eel.
Fixed expression
The expression 'glatt wie ein Aal sein' (to be slippery as an eel) is a fixed idiom. It is used to describe a person who skillfully talks their way out of unpleasant situations and cannot be pinned down.
EXAMPLE
Der Verdächtige war bei der Befragung glatt wie ein Aal.
The suspect was slippery as an eel during the questioning.
Compare with
Aal vs Schlange
queue / snake
'die Schlange' and 'der Aal' can look similar because both are long and narrow. Even so, they are different animals. A 'Schlange' is a reptile and, depending on the species, lives on land or in water. An 'Aal' is a fish and lives in water; it is also used as a food fish. Learners may confuse the words because an eel looks snake-like. But for the type of animal, the distinction is important: a reptile is called 'Schlange', a fish is called 'Aal'.
Aal
Im Restaurant bestellte mein Onkel Aal, weil er gern Fisch isst.
At the restaurant, my uncle ordered eel because he likes fish.
Schlange
Beim Wandern sahen wir eine Schlange am Rand des Weges.
While hiking, we saw a snake at the edge of the path.
In real life
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