01
die Felge
rim
The outer ring of a wheel, usually made of metal, onto which the tire is mounted.
example
Er hat sich teure Alufelgen für sein neues Auto gekauft.
He bought expensive alloy rims for his new car.
die Felge
rim
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Meanings
Usage tips
Typical materials
Rims are often named according to their material. The most common compounds are 'die Alufelge' (alloy rim/aluminum rim) and 'die Stahlfelge' (steel rim).
EXAMPLE
Im Winter fahre ich mit Stahlfelgen, im Sommer mit Alufelgen.
In winter I drive with steel rims, in summer with alloy rims.
Context: cars and bicycles
Although every wheel has a rim, you most often hear the word in connection with cars, motorcycles, and bicycles, often when it is about appearance or maintenance.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem Kontakt mit dem Bordstein war die Felge zerkratzt.
After contact with the curb, the rim was scratched.
Typical verbs
Common verbs used with 'Felge' (rim) describe actions such as 'Felgen montieren' (to mount rims), 'Felgen wechseln' (to change rims), or 'Felgen reinigen' (to clean rims).
EXAMPLE
In der Werkstatt können Sie Ihre neuen Felgen montieren lassen.
At the garage, you can have your new rims mounted.
Compare with
Felge vs Rad
wheel / bike
'das Rad' and 'die Felge' are both connected to vehicles, but they do not mean the same part. The 'Rad' is the whole rotating part that a vehicle moves on. The 'Felge' is only the outer ring of the wheel, which the tire sits on. Learners may confuse the words because you often hear both in connection with cars or bicycles. In practical terms: if you mean the whole part, you say 'Rad'. If you are talking about the metal ring in the wheel, you say 'Felge'.
Felge
Bei der Vorbereitung prüft er, ob die Felge noch gerade ist.
During the preparation, he checks whether the rim is still straight.
Rad
Nach der Arbeit ist ihr Rad am Fahrrad plötzlich locker.
After work, the wheel on her bicycle is suddenly loose.
In real life
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