01
die Gurke
cucumber
A long, green vegetable that is eaten raw in salads or pickled.
example
Ich schneide noch schnell eine Gurke für den Salat.
I'll quickly cut a cucumber for the salad.
die Gurke
cucumber
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Context clue
Which meaning of 'Gurke' (cucumber) is intended becomes clear immediately from the context. If it is about food, cooking, or shopping, it means the vegetable. In all other situations, especially when someone is complaining about something, one of the colloquial meanings is meant.
EXAMPLE
Für den Salat brauche ich noch eine Gurke.
I still need a cucumber for the salad.
Register: colloquial language
The terms for a bad vehicle or an incompetent person are colloquial and slightly derogatory. Use these meanings only in informal conversations among friends or acquaintances.
EXAMPLE
Mein erstes Auto war eine rostige Gurke.
My first car was a rusty clunker.
Typical collocations
When it refers to the vegetable, 'Gurke' (cucumber) is often combined with verbs of preparation. Typical phrases are: 'eine Gurke schälen' (to peel a cucumber), 'eine Gurke schneiden' (to cut a cucumber), or 'Gurken einlegen' (to pickle cucumbers).
EXAMPLE
Zuerst musst du die Gurke waschen und schälen.
First you have to wash and peel the cucumber.
Related verb
The verb 'herumgurken' is derived from the colloquial meaning for a bad vehicle. It means to drive around slowly, aimlessly, or in a bad vehicle.
EXAMPLE
Wir sind den ganzen Nachmittag mit dem alten Auto in der Stadt herumgegurkt.
We spent the whole afternoon driving around town in the old car.
Compare with
Gurke vs Kiste
box / crate
'die Kiste' and 'die Gurke' can both colloquially mean a bad, old, or unreliable device or vehicle. That is why they can easily be confused, especially when someone is talking disparagingly about a car. However, 'Kiste' also works for a computer and often sounds like a casual, slightly annoyed expression. 'Gurke' emphasizes more strongly that something is bad or useless. For a vegetable, you only use 'Gurke', not 'Kiste'.
Gurke
Mit dieser Gurke fahre ich nicht mehr auf die Autobahn, weil sie ständig Probleme macht.
I am not driving this clunker on the highway anymore because it keeps having problems.
Kiste
Mein alter Computer ist so eine Kiste, dass er jeden Morgen fünf Minuten zum Starten braucht.
My old computer is such a clunker that it needs five minutes to start up every morning.
In real life
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