das Grünzeug
greens
An informal term for vegetables, especially green or leafy vegetables.
EXAMPLE
Die Kinder lassen das Grünzeug auf dem Teller liegen.
The children leave the greens on their plates.
das Grünzeug
greens / greenery
das Grünzeug
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Meanings
das Grünzeug
greenery
An informal term for green plants, leaves, or dense vegetation.
EXAMPLE
Im Garten ist das Grünzeug nach dem Regen kräftig gewachsen.
The greenery in the garden grew vigorously after the rain.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Grünzeug, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | neuter das |
|---|---|
| genitive | des Grünzeuges |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | das Grünzeug | – |
| accusative | das Grünzeug | – |
| dative | dem Grünzeug | – |
| genitive | des Grünzeuges des Grünzeugs | – |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Word formation
'Grünzeug' (greens / greenery) is made up of 'Grün' (green) and 'Zeug' (stuff). Here, 'Zeug' refers to an unorganized collection of things and can give the word a casual or slightly dismissive tone.
EXAMPLE
Räum bitte das ganze Grünzeug aus dem Kühlschrank.
Please clear all the greens out of the fridge.
Er mag kein Grünzeug in seinem Essen.
He doesn't like greens in his food.
Typical collocations
When referring to vegetables, 'Grünzeug' (greens) often appears with verbs such as 'essen' (to eat), 'liegen lassen' (to leave uneaten), or 'nicht mögen' (to dislike). It particularly often refers to vegetables on a plate or served as a side dish.
EXAMPLE
Die Kinder sollen erst ihr Grünzeug essen, bevor es Nachtisch gibt.
The children should eat their greens before they get dessert.
Context clue
When the context involves food, a plate, or a meal, 'Grünzeug' (greens / greenery) usually means vegetables. Words such as 'Garten' (garden), 'Bäume' (trees), 'Blätter' (leaves), or 'wachsen' (to grow), on the other hand, usually indicate the sense referring to plants and dense vegetation.
EXAMPLE
Hinter dem alten Schuppen wuchert so viel Grünzeug, dass man den Weg kaum noch sieht.
So much greenery is growing rampant behind the old shed that you can barely see the path anymore.
Für den Salat kauft sie frisches Grünzeug auf dem Markt.
She buys fresh greens at the market for the salad.
In real life
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