01
der Hahn
rooster
A male chicken known for its crowing.
example
Jeden Morgen weckt uns der Hahn vom Nachbarn.
Every morning, the neighbor's rooster wakes us up.
der Hahn
rooster / tap
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Context clues
You can easily recognize the meaning of 'Hahn' from context. If people are talking about animals, a farm, or the verb 'krähen' (to crow), it refers to the male chicken. If the topic is water, the kitchen, or the bathroom, it means the water tap.
EXAMPLE
Auf dem Bauernhof krähte der Hahn schon früh am Morgen.
On the farm, the rooster crowed early in the morning.
Typical verbs
For a water tap, the separable verbs 'aufdrehen' (to turn on) and 'zudrehen' (to turn off) are essential. The prefix appears at the end of the sentence.
EXAMPLE
Dreh bitte den Hahn auf, ich brauche heißes Wasser.
Please turn on the tap; I need hot water.
Compounds
To make the meaning more precise, 'Hahn' is often used in compound words. The most common are 'der Wasserhahn' (water tap) and 'der Gashahn' (gas valve).
EXAMPLE
Der Installateur repariert den undichten Wasserhahn.
The plumber is repairing the leaky tap.
Typical verb
The characteristic sound that a rooster makes is described with the verb 'krähen' (to crow). This combination is very typical.
EXAMPLE
Jeden Morgen um fünf Uhr kräht der Hahn.
Every morning at five o'clock, the rooster crows.
Fixed expression
The expression 'der Hahn im Korb sein' (to be the rooster in the basket / the only man among women) is a fixed idiom. It is always used in this form with the verb 'sein' (to be).
EXAMPLE
Als einziger Mann unter all seinen Kolleginnen war er der Hahn im Korb.
As the only man among all his female colleagues, he was the center of attention.
Compare with
Hahn vs Hammer
hammer
'der Hammer' and 'der Hahn' can both have to do with striking, but in very different areas. 'der Hammer' is a tool used, for example, to drive in nails. 'der Hahn' can be a part of a firearm that fires the shot. The words can be confused because both are short and, in some technical situations, have something to do with striking or triggering. In everyday language, 'Hammer' almost always means the tool, while 'Hahn' is much more often an animal or a water tap.
Hahn
Der alte Hahn der Waffe klemmte, deshalb wurde sie nicht benutzt.
The old hammer of the gun was jammed, so it was not used.
Hammer
Für den neuen Schrank braucht Max einen Hammer und ein paar Nägel.
For the new cabinet, Max needs a hammer and a few nails.
In real life
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