der Barren
bar / ingot
A block-shaped piece of cast metal, especially precious metal such as gold or silver.
EXAMPLE
Die Bank lagert Goldbarren in ihrem Tresor.
The bank stores gold bars in its vault.
der Barren
bar / ingot
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Meanings
der Barren
parallel bars
A gymnastics apparatus consisting of one or two bars on a frame. It is usually used in the plural ('die Barren') for the entire apparatus.
EXAMPLE
Der Turner zeigte eine beeindruckende Übung am Barren.
The gymnast performed an impressive routine on the parallel bars.
Usage tips
Context clue
You can easily recognize the meaning of 'Barren' from the context. If it is about money, metals such as gold or silver, or a vault, it means a metal block. If it is about sports, gymnastics, or a gymnasium, it means the sports apparatus.
EXAMPLE
Der Dieb stahl einen schweren Goldbarren aus dem Museum.
The thief stole a heavy gold bar from the museum.
Typical collocations
In the meaning of 'Metallstück' (piece of metal), 'Barren' is often used as the second part of a compound that names the metal. The most common examples are 'Goldbarren' (gold bar) and 'Silberbarren' (silver bar).
EXAMPLE
Viele Anleger investieren in Goldbarren, um ihr Vermögen zu sichern.
Many investors invest in gold bars to protect their wealth.
Use in sports
When the gymnastics apparatus is meant, it is almost always used with the preposition 'an' in the dative. So a typical phrasing is 'am Barren turnen' (to do gymnastics on the parallel bars) or 'eine Übung am Barren machen' (to do a routine on the parallel bars).
EXAMPLE
Er hat seine Übung am Barren fehlerfrei absolviert.
He completed his routine on the parallel bars without any mistakes.
Compare with
Barren vs Block
block / pad
A Block generally refers to a large, solid piece of firm material and can therefore also be made of metal. A Barren is more specifically a block-shaped piece of cast metal, especially gold or silver. When the manufacturing process and the metal’s shape are important, Barren is the better term.
Barren
Im Lager liegt das gegossene Metall als schwerer Barren.
The cast metal is stored as a heavy ingot.
Block
In der Werkstatt liegt ein schwerer Block aus Metall.
There is a heavy block of metal in the workshop.
In real life
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