01
das Haar
hair
The entirety of the thread-like horny structures that grow on people's heads. Often used in the singular as a collective term.
example
Sie hat schönes, dichtes Haar.
She has beautiful, thick hair.
das Haar
hair
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Singular and plural
'Das Haar' (hair) in the singular refers to all the hair on the head. When talking about individual strands, you use the plural 'die Haare' (the hairs/hair) or 'ein Haar' (one hair) for a single strand.
EXAMPLE
Er hat schwarzes Haar.
He has black hair.
Typical collocations
Around hair care, there are fixed verb combinations such as 'sich die Haare waschen' (to wash one's hair), 'sich die Haare kämmen' (to comb one's hair), or 'sich die Haare schneiden lassen' (to get one's hair cut).
EXAMPLE
Ich muss mir dringend die Haare schneiden lassen.
I urgently need to get my hair cut.
Fixed expression
The expression 'sich in die Haare geraten' (to get into a fight) describes an argument. It is often used reciprocally, that is, with 'sich' or 'einander', to show that both sides are arguing.
EXAMPLE
Die Nachbarn sind sich schon wieder wegen des Lärms in die Haare geraten.
The neighbors have gotten into a fight over the noise again.
Dative construction
In the expression 'kein gutes Haar an jemandem/etwas lassen' (to tear someone/something apart), the object of criticism always appears with the preposition 'an' in the dative.
EXAMPLE
Der Kritiker hat an dem neuen Film kein gutes Haar gelassen.
The critic tore the new film apart.
Fixed expression
The expression 'um ein Haar' (by a hair) is a fixed phrase and means 'nearly' or 'almost'. It often appears at the beginning or in the middle of a sentence.
EXAMPLE
Ich wäre um ein Haar zu spät gekommen.
I would have been late by a hair.
Compare with
Haar vs Wolle
wool
'das Haar' and 'die Wolle' can both refer to thread-like parts of humans or animals. 'Haar' is the general word for individual hairs, especially on humans but also on animals. 'Wolle' mainly means the soft, dense hair of sheep or similar animals. In addition, 'Wolle' is also the yarn used for knitting. Learners may confuse the words because wool is made from animal hair. But for human head hair, you do not say 'Wolle'. In colloquial German, there are also similar idioms: 'sich in die Haare geraten' and 'sich in die Wolle kriegen' both mean that people get into an argument.
Haar
Auf meinem Pullover liegt ein langes Haar.
There is a long hair on my sweater.
Wolle
Für den Schal kauft Maria weiche Wolle in Blau.
For the scarf, Maria buys soft blue yarn.
In real life
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