01
der Apfel
apple
The round, edible fruit of the apple tree with a skin that can be green, yellow, or red depending on the variety.
example
Ein Apfel am Tag hält den Doktor fern.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
der Apfel
apple
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Productive word formation
'Apfel' (apple) is a very productive base word and forms many useful compound nouns. If you recognize 'Apfel', you can often figure out the meaning of the whole word.
EXAMPLE
Möchtest du ein Glas Apfelsaft?
Would you like a glass of apple juice?
Fixed expression
The idiom 'in den sauren Apfel beißen' (to bite into the sour apple) means that you have to do an unpleasant but necessary task. It is often used when there is no other choice.
EXAMPLE
Ich muss jetzt in den sauren Apfel beißen und meine Steuererklärung machen.
I have to bite the bullet now and do my tax return.
Fixed proverb
The sentence 'Der Apfel fällt nicht weit vom Stamm' (the apple doesn't fall far from the tree) is a fixed proverb. It is used to express that children are very similar to their parents in behavior or appearance.
EXAMPLE
Ihre Tochter ist genauso musikalisch wie sie. Der Apfel fällt eben nicht weit vom Stamm.
Her daughter is just as musical as she is. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Context clue
You can recognize the historical meaning 'Reichsapfel' (imperial orb) from the context. The word appears almost only in texts about kings, emperors, or history, often together with 'Krone' (crown) and 'Zepter' (scepter).
EXAMPLE
Im Museum waren die alten Insignien mit Krone, Zepter und Apfel ausgestellt.
In the museum, the old regalia with crown, scepter, and orb were on display.
Compare with
Apfel vs Apfelbaum
apple tree
'der Apfel' and 'der Apfelbaum' are closely related, but they are not the same thing. 'der Apfel' is the fruit that you can eat. 'der Apfelbaum' is the tree that apples grow on. Learners may confuse the words because both have to do with the same plant and 'Apfelbaum' contains the word 'Apfel'. As a practical rule: when you are talking about eating, buying, or cutting, you usually mean the apple. When it is about a garden, blossoms, branches, or growing, Apfelbaum fits.
Apfel
In der Pause isst der Mitarbeiter einen roten Apfel.
During the break, the employee eats a red apple.
Apfelbaum
Bei schlechtem Wetter schützt der alte Apfelbaum die Bank im Garten ein wenig.
In bad weather, the old apple tree gives the bench in the garden a little protection.
In real life
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