der Kiesel
pebble
A small stone rounded and smoothed by water, like those found on beaches, in rivers, or on paths.
EXAMPLE
Barfuß über die spitzen Kiesel zu laufen war unangenehm.
Walking barefoot over the sharp pebbles was unpleasant.
der Kiesel
pebble
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word family
'Der Kiesel' (pebble) is related to 'der Kies' (gravel). While 'Kies' describes the uncountable material (gravel, loose stones), 'der Kiesel' is the individual, countable stone from it.
EXAMPLE
Sie hob einen besonders schönen Kiesel vom Boden auf.
She picked up a particularly beautiful pebble from the ground.
Typical collocations
'Kiesel' (pebble) is often described with adjectives such as 'rund' (round), 'glatt' (smooth), 'spitz' (sharp), or 'bunt' (colorful). Pebbles are typically found in certain places, e.g. 'am Strand' (on the beach), 'im Flussbett' (in the riverbed), or 'auf einem Weg' (on a path).
EXAMPLE
Die Kinder sammelten am Flussufer bunte Kiesel.
The children collected colorful pebbles on the riverbank.
Use in the plural
The word is very often used in the plural ('die Kiesel' — the pebbles) to describe a surface covered with these small stones, such as a pebble beach or a pebble path.
EXAMPLE
Der Weg zum Haus war mit feinen Kieseln bedeckt.
The path to the house was covered with fine pebbles.
Compare with
Kiesel vs Steinchen
small stone / little gem
Kiesel and Steinchen can both refer to a small stone. A Kiesel is typically rounded and smoothed by water, whereas Steinchen emphasizes only the small size and can have a different shape. Use Kiesel for the typically round shape and Steinchen when you are referring simply to the small size.
Kiesel
Am Fluss fand Lina einen runden Kiesel und steckte ihn in ihre Tasche.
By the river, Lina found a round pebble and put it in her pocket.
Steinchen
Am Weg lag ein kleines Steinchen, das in Linas Schuh drückte.
A small stone lay on the path and pressed against Lina’s foot inside her shoe.
In real life
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