bread
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bread
A staple food baked from a dough made of flour, water, salt, and a leavening agent such as yeast. It can refer to the food in general or to a single loaf.
Ich kaufe jeden Morgen ein frisches Brot beim Bäcker.
I buy a fresh loaf of bread at the bakery every morning.
'Brot' (bread) is the basis for many useful compound nouns in German. Examples include 'das Abendbrot' (evening meal), 'das Pausenbrot' (snack for the break), or 'die Brotdose' (lunch box).
Vergiss dein Pausenbrot für die Schule nicht!
Don't forget your snack for school!
Bread has great cultural significance in Germany. The traditional cold meal in the evening is often called 'Abendbrot' (evening meal) and typically consists of bread, sausage, and cheese.
Was gibt es heute zum Abendbrot?
What's for the evening meal today?
The idiom 'sein Brot verdienen' (to earn one's living) is fixed. The possessive pronoun ('mein', 'dein', 'sein', etc.) must be adapted to the person who earns their livelihood.
Sie verdient ihr Brot als Lehrerin an einer Grundschule.
She earns her living as a teacher at a primary school.
bread roll
'das Brot' and 'das Brötchen' are both baked goods made from similar dough. The most important difference is size and use. 'Brot' means the food in general or a whole loaf that you cut slices from. 'Brötchen' is a small individual bread roll that people often eat for breakfast or on the go. Learners may confuse the words because a 'Brötchen' is basically a small bread item. In everyday language, however, you do not say 'ein kleines Brot' if you mean a breakfast roll. In the fixed expressions 'sein Brot verdienen' and 'seine Brötchen verdienen', both are about earning a living.
Nach der Arbeit kauft Tom ein frisches Brot für das Abendessen.
After work, Tom buys a fresh loaf of bread for dinner.
Am Bahnhof hat Lisa ein Brötchen mit Käse gegessen.
At the train station, Lisa ate a bread roll with cheese.