charcoal
Loading your saved state.
charcoal
A solid fuel made by heating wood without air, used mainly for grilling.
Für das Barbecue am Wochenende müssen wir noch einen Sack Holzkohle kaufen.
For the barbecue this weekend, we still need to buy a bag of charcoal.
The word is made up of 'Holz' (wood) and 'Kohle' (coal). So it literally refers to a coal that is made from wood.
Im Sommer riecht man in vielen Gärten den Duft von Holzkohle.
In summer, you can smell the scent of charcoal in many gardens.
In connection with 'Holzkohle' (charcoal), the verbs 'anzünden' (to light), 'grillen' (to grill), and 'glühen' (to glow) are often used. They describe its typical use when grilling.
Es dauert eine Weile, bis die Holzkohle richtig glüht.
It takes a while until the charcoal is properly glowing.
'Holzkohle' (charcoal) is often bought in quantities such as 'ein Sack Holzkohle' (a bag of charcoal). When using it for grilling, people often say 'mit Holzkohle grillen' (to grill with charcoal).
Kannst du auf dem Weg nach Hause einen Sack Holzkohle mitbringen?
Can you bring a bag of charcoal on your way home?
coal
'die Kohle' and 'die Holzkohle' can be used very similarly when grilling. 'Kohle' is more general and can mean different fuels. When grilling, people often simply say 'Kohle', even though they actually mean charcoal or briquettes. 'Holzkohle' is more precise: it is made from wood and is used especially for grilling. Learners may confuse the words because both appear in everyday language around grilling. If you want to be precise, say 'Holzkohle'; in casual everyday language, 'Kohle' is often enough when grilling.
Für das Grillfest hat die Kundin zwei Säcke Holzkohle gekauft.
The customer bought two bags of charcoal for the barbecue.
Nach dem Einkaufen bringt der Verkäufer noch einen Sack Kohle zum Auto.
After the shopping is done, the seller brings another bag of charcoal to the car.