01
das Heu
hay
Dried grass and herbs used as feed for animals such as horses, cows, or rabbits.
example
Im Winter füttert der Bauer die Kühe mit Heu aus der Scheune.
In winter, the farmer feeds the cows hay from the barn.
das Heu
hay
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word family
The word 'Heu' (hay) is the first part of many useful compound nouns. Examples include 'der Heuschnupfen' (hay fever), 'der Heuballen' (hay bale), or 'die Heuernte' (hay harvest).
EXAMPLE
Im Frühling leiden viele Menschen unter Heuschnupfen.
In spring, many people suffer from hay fever.
Typical collocations
A fixed collocation is 'Heu machen' (to make hay). It describes the whole process of mowing, drying, and storing grass as animal feed. 'Im Heu schlafen' (to sleep in the hay) is also a well-known phrase.
EXAMPLE
Die Bauern müssen das gute Wetter nutzen, um Heu zu machen.
The farmers have to take advantage of the good weather to make hay.
Fixed idiom
The expression 'Geld wie Heu haben' (to have money like hay) is fixed and means to be extremely rich. The structure is always the same. The idea behind it is that you have something in an uncountable amount.
EXAMPLE
Er arbeitet nicht mehr, denn seine Familie hat Geld wie Heu.
He no longer works because his family has tons of money.
Compare with
Heu vs Gras
grass
'das Gras' and 'das Heu' are closely connected because hay is made from grass and herbs. 'Gras' is fresh and still grows on the ground. 'Heu' has been cut and dried and is often used as feed for animals. Learners may confuse the words because both have to do with meadows and animal feed. The simple difference is: grass is green and fresh; hay is dry.
Heu
Am Abend bringen wir den Kaninchen neues Heu in den Stall.
In the evening, we bring the rabbits fresh hay in the hutch.
Gras
Die Kühe fressen frisches Gras auf der Weide.
The cows are eating fresh grass in the pasture.
In real life
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