limescale / lime
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limescale
A white mineral substance (calcium carbonate) that is dissolved in water and is deposited when heated or evaporated, for example in household appliances or on fixtures.
Ich muss den Wasserkocher entkalken, er ist innen schon ganz weiß vor Kalk.
I need to descale the kettle; it's already completely white with limescale inside.
lime
A building material obtained from burned limestone and used, among other things, to make mortar and plaster or to fertilize farmland.
Die alten Fachwerkwände wurden traditionell mit einem Putz aus Sand und Kalk versehen.
The old half-timbered walls were traditionally covered with a plaster made of sand and lime.
'Kalk' is the name of a substance and is generally used as an uncountable noun. Therefore, it normally has no plural form.
Das Wasser hier enthält sehr viel Kalk.
The water here contains a lot of limescale.
The context makes it clear which meaning is intended. In connection with household appliances, water, or the bathroom, it refers to the deposit. In the context of construction, walls, or agriculture, it refers to the building material.
Die Duschwand ist voller Kalk.
The shower wall is covered in limescale.
When it is about deposits, typical verbs are 'entfernen' (to remove), 'sich ablagern' (to be deposited/build up), or 'lösen' (to dissolve). The appropriate verb for cleaning appliances is 'entkalken' (to descale).
Wie kann ich den Kalk am besten von den Armaturen entfernen?
What is the best way to remove the limescale from the fixtures?
limestone
Both words can be associated with calcareous material in construction or cement contexts. Here, Kalk refers to the obtained or processed building material, while Kalkstein refers to the natural rock used as the source material. When talking about mortar or plaster, Kalk is the right choice; when talking about the rock, Kalkstein is the right choice.
Für den neuen Putz mischte der Handwerker Kalk mit Sand und Wasser.
For the new plaster, the builder mixed lime with sand and water.
Der Steinbruch liefert Kalkstein, der später zur Herstellung von Zement verwendet wird.
The quarry supplies limestone, which is later used to make cement.
