der Anstrich
coat of paint
A layer of paint applied to a surface, or the act of painting itself.
EXAMPLE
Die Fassade des Hauses benötigt einen neuen Anstrich.
The facade of the house needs a new coat of paint.
der Anstrich
coat of paint / appearance
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Meanings
der Anstrich
appearance / veneer
An outward appearance or superficial impression that often does not match the true nature of something.
EXAMPLE
Er gab sich den Anstrich eines Intellektuellen, hatte aber keines der Bücher gelesen.
He gave himself the appearance of an intellectual, but he had not read any of the books.
Usage tips
Word structure
'Der Anstrich' is the noun corresponding to the verb 'anstreichen' (to paint). It describes both the act of painting and the result, meaning the layer of paint.
EXAMPLE
Wir müssen am Wochenende die Wände im Wohnzimmer anstreichen.
We have to paint the walls in the living room this weekend.
Sentence structure with dative
When saying what receives a coat of paint, you often use a dative construction: 'einer Sache (Dativ) einen Anstrich geben' (to give something a coat of paint).
EXAMPLE
Wir haben dem alten Gartenzaun einen frischen Anstrich gegeben.
We gave the old garden fence a fresh coat of paint.
Context clue
The figurative meaning ('Schein' (appearance)) is often recognizable from the reflexive expression 'sich einen Anstrich geben' (to give oneself the appearance of something). The literal meaning refers to paint and surfaces such as walls or furniture.
EXAMPLE
Er versucht, sich einen intellektuellen Anstrich zu geben.
He is trying to give himself an intellectual appearance.
Typical collocations
In the figurative meaning, the reflexive expression 'sich (Dativ) einen Anstrich geben' (to give oneself a certain appearance) is often used. 'Anstrich' is usually specified more precisely by an adjective or a noun in the genitive.
EXAMPLE
Die Firma gab sich einen umweltfreundlichen Anstrich, produzierte aber nicht nachhaltig.
The company gave itself an environmentally friendly veneer, but did not produce sustainably.
Compare with
Anstrich vs Farbe
color / paint
Farbe mainly refers to the liquid or paste-like substance that is applied. Anstrich is the coat of paint that has been applied or the act of painting itself. Use Farbe when you mean the material, and Anstrich when the finished coat or the work of painting is the focus.
Anstrich
Der neue Anstrich der Küche ist nach zwei Tagen vollständig trocken.
The kitchen's new coat of paint is completely dry after two days.
Farbe
Für den neuen Anstrich kauft Maria im Baumarkt weiße Farbe.
Maria buys white paint at the hardware store for the new coat of paint.
In real life
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