potato
Loading your saved state.
potato
An edible tuber that is prepared in many different ways as a vegetable and is a staple food in many countries.
Heute Abend gibt es Bratkartoffeln mit Spiegelei.
Tonight we're having fried potatoes with a fried egg.
In Austria and southern Germany, you often hear the word 'der Erdapfel' (potato). In parts of Austria, 'die Grundbirne' (potato) is also common.
Zum Abendessen gibt es heute Erdäpfel mit Quark.
For dinner today, there are potatoes with quark.
In German, there are many compound words for potato dishes. Common ones are 'Salzkartoffeln' (potatoes boiled in salted water), 'Bratkartoffeln' (fried potatoes), and 'Pellkartoffeln' (potatoes boiled with their skins on).
Ich muss für das Abendessen noch die Kartoffeln schälen.
I still have to peel the potatoes for dinner.
This meaning is strongly colloquial and, depending on context and intention, can be joking, neutral, or also derogatory. It is often used in discussions about national identity and clichés.
Er lacht über sich selbst und sagt, er sei eben eine richtige Kartoffel.
He laughs at himself and says he's just a real potato.
tuber / ticket / nose
'die Kartoffel' and 'die Knolle' can both refer to an underground part of a plant. But 'die Kartoffel' is a specific edible tuber that you can boil, fry, or bake. 'Die Knolle' is more general and describes the shape or the plant part; other plants can have tubers too. That is why the words can be confused when talking about plants or vegetables. Put simply: every potato is a tuber, but not every tuber is a potato.
Zum Abendessen schält Lisa Kartoffeln für die Suppe.
For dinner, Lisa peels potatoes for the soup.
Im Garten findet Mehmet eine große Knolle unter der Pflanze.
In the garden, Mehmet finds a large tuber under the plant.