mähen
to mow
To cut grass or a meadow short with a machine (lawn mower) or a tool (scythe).
EXAMPLE
Am Samstag muss ich unbedingt den Rasen mähen.
On Saturday, I absolutely have to mow the lawn.
mähen
to mow
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Meanings
mähen
to mow
To cut grain in a field with a scythe or a harvesting machine in order to harvest it.
EXAMPLE
Die Bauern mähen das Korn, sobald es reif ist.
The farmers mow the grain as soon as it is ripe.
Usage tips
Sentence structure and usage
The verb 'mähen' (to mow) almost always needs an accusative object that indicates what is being cut. You usually cannot simply 'mähen'; you always mow something.
EXAMPLE
Der Gärtner mäht die große Wiese hinter dem Haus.
The gardener mows the large meadow behind the house.
Perfect tense formation
The perfect tense of 'mähen' (to mow) is formed with the auxiliary verb 'haben' and the participle 'gemäht'. The form is the same in all meanings.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe gestern den Rasen gemäht.
I mowed the lawn yesterday.
Typical collocations
In the context of gardening, 'mähen' (to mow) is typically used with 'den Rasen' (the lawn) or 'die Wiese' (the meadow). The appropriate tool is often 'der Rasenmäher' (the lawn mower).
EXAMPLE
Könntest du bitte am Wochenende den Rasen mähen?
Could you please mow the lawn this weekend?
Context: agriculture
This meaning of 'mähen' (to mow) belongs to the field of agriculture and harvesting. Typical objects are 'das Getreide' (the grain), 'das Korn' (the grain), or 'der Weizen' (the wheat).
EXAMPLE
Früher mähten die Bauern das Getreide mit der Sense.
In the past, farmers mowed the grain with a scythe.
Compare with
mähen vs schneiden
to cut
Schneiden generally refers to separating something with a sharp tool. Mähen is the usual term when grass, an entire meadow, or grain is cut with a suitable tool or machine. Schneiden can be used for individual blades of grass, while mähen is used for the whole area or crop.
mähen
Nina mäht die ganze Rasenfläche mit dem Rasenmäher.
Nina mows the entire lawn with the lawn mower.
schneiden
Nina schneidet einige lange Grashalme am Beetrand mit der Schere.
Nina cuts a few long blades of grass at the edge of the flower bed with scissors.
In real life
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