01
der Baustoff
building material
A material used for constructing buildings or other structures.
example
Holz ist ein traditioneller und nachhaltiger Baustoff.
Wood is a traditional and sustainable building material.
der Baustoff
building material
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word composition
'Baustoff' (building material) is a compound noun made up of 'Bau' (construction, from 'bauen' — to build) and 'Stoff' (material). So it literally means 'material for building'.
EXAMPLE
Beton ist weltweit einer der meistverwendeten Baustoffe.
Concrete is one of the most widely used building materials worldwide.
Word family with '-stoff'
The ending '-stoff' often refers to a material or substance. When you see this ending, you can often work out the meaning, as in 'Kunststoff' (plastic) or 'Wertstoff' (recyclable material).
EXAMPLE
Viele moderne Baustoffe sind leichter als traditionelle Materialien.
Many modern building materials are lighter than traditional materials.
Typical collocations
Common adjectives used with 'Baustoff' (building material) are 'natürlich' (natural), 'künstlich' (artificial), 'nachhaltig' (sustainable), or 'modern' (modern). Typical examples of building materials are wood, brick, concrete, and steel.
EXAMPLE
Für den Hausbau haben wir uns für nachhaltige Baustoffe entschieden.
For building the house, we chose sustainable building materials.
Compare with
Baustoff vs Material
material
'das Material' and 'der Baustoff' overlap when talking about substances from which something is made or built. 'Material' is the general word and fits in many areas, for example clothing, furniture, crafts, or technology. 'Baustoff' is more specific and means a material for structures, such as concrete, wood, steel, or bricks. The words can be confused because every 'Baustoff' is a 'Material'. But not every 'Material' is a 'Baustoff'. When the context is clearly about building, 'Baustoff' is more precise.
Baustoff
Beton ist ein wichtiger Baustoff für Brücken und große Gebäude.
Concrete is an important building material for bridges and large buildings.
Material
Dieses Material fühlt sich weich an und ist gut für Kinderkleidung.
This material feels soft and is good for children's clothing.
In real life
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