grain
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grain
A very small amount of something, often used figuratively for a quality or feeling. It is usually used in negative sentences to emphasize the complete absence of something.
In seiner Entschuldigung war kein Gran von Reue zu spüren.
There was not a grain of remorse to be felt in his apology.
grain
An old, very small unit of weight that was historically used mainly for precious metals, gemstones, and in pharmacy. Today, this meaning is rare and mostly limited to historical or specialist contexts.
Der Apotheker wog wenige Gran des seltenen Pulvers ab.
The pharmacist weighed out a few grains of the rare powder.
In its figurative meaning, 'Gran' (grain) is used almost exclusively in sentences with a negation such as 'kein' (no/not a) or 'nicht ein' (not a single). It emphasizes the complete absence of something.
Sie zeigte nicht ein Gran von Verständnis für seine Situation.
She showed not a grain of understanding for his situation.
'Gran' (grain) is typically combined with abstract nouns to describe the absence of a quality or feeling. Common phrases are 'kein Gran Wahrheit' (not a grain of truth), 'kein Gran Zweifel' (not a grain of doubt), or 'kein Gran Anstand' (not a grain of decency).
An seiner Geschichte war kein Gran Wahrheit dran.
There was not a grain of truth in his story.
You can recognize the figurative meaning by its combination with a negation and an abstract noun. The historical unit of measurement, by contrast, appears only in contexts such as pharmacy, alchemy, or jewelry and is used without negation.
Er hatte keinen Gran Hoffnung mehr.
He no longer had a grain of hope.
gram
Gramm and Gran refer to small units of weight. Gramm is a modern, regular unit, whereas Gran is an old unit that is rarely used today. For present-day weights, use Gramm; Gran is appropriate in historical or specialist contexts.
Nach dem alten Rezept wog der Apotheker fünf Gran des Pulvers ab.
According to the old recipe, the pharmacist weighed out five grains of the powder.
Für das Rezept wiegt sie fünf Gramm Salz ab.
She weighs out five grams of salt for the recipe.
