grain / cereal
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grain / cereal
A collective term for types of plants such as wheat, rye, barley, or oats that are grown for their edible grains. It refers both to the plants and to the harvested grains.
Der Bauer erntet im Sommer das Getreide auf seinen Feldern.
The farmer harvests the grain in his fields in the summer.
'Getreide' (grain/cereal) is a collective term and is almost always used in the singular, even when talking about many grains or plants. A plural form is uncommon in everyday language.
Für dieses Brot wird eine besondere Art von Getreide verwendet.
A special type of grain is used for this bread.
The prefix 'Ge-' at the beginning of the word often indicates a collective term, similar to 'Gebirge' (a mountain range, a collection of mountains) or 'Gebüsch' (bushes/shrubbery, a collection of bushes).
Das Getreide auf dem Feld ist reif für die Ernte.
The grain in the field is ready for harvest.
Typical verbs connected with 'Getreide' (grain/cereal) describe the agricultural process: 'anbauen' (to grow/cultivate), 'ernten' (to harvest), 'lagern' (to store), and 'mahlen' (to grind/mill).
Die Mühle mahlt das Getreide zu feinem Mehl.
The mill grinds the grain into fine flour.
rice
'der Reis' and 'das Getreide' belong to the same area because rice is a type of grain. But 'Getreide' is the umbrella term for many plants with edible grains, for example wheat, rye, barley, oats, and also rice. 'Reis' means only this one type and often also directly the food on the plate. Learners may confuse the words when talking about food or agriculture. If you mean the exact type, say 'Reis'. If you are talking about the whole group of such plants or grains, say 'Getreide'.
Meine Mutter kauft Brot, das aus verschiedenen Getreiden gebacken wird.
My mother buys bread that is baked from different grains.
Im Urlaub essen wir oft Reis zu Fisch und Gemüse.
On vacation, we often eat rice with fish and vegetables.