01
der Mais
corn
A grain plant with a strong stalk on which ears with yellow kernels grow.
example
Die Felder hier sind voller Mais, der im Herbst geerntet wird.
The fields here are full of corn, which is harvested in the fall.
der Mais
corn
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Meanings
Usage tips
Use as a mass noun
'Mais' (corn) is a mass noun, similar to 'Wasser' (water) or 'Sand' (sand). When talking about the substance or the plant variety in general, the word is often used in the singular and without an article.
EXAMPLE
In diesem Salat ist auch Mais.
There is corn in this salad too.
Typical compounds
The word 'Mais' (corn) is often the first part of compound nouns. Common examples are 'der Maiskolben' (corn cob), 'das Maisfeld' (cornfield), 'die Maisstärke' (cornstarch), or 'das Popcorn' (popcorn).
EXAMPLE
Im Sommer grillen wir gerne Maiskolben.
In the summer, we like to grill corn on the cob.
Regional variant
Especially in Austria, the word 'der Kukuruz' is also very common for 'Mais' (corn). In Germany, this term is hardly used.
EXAMPLE
In Österreich nennt man das Maisfeld auch Kukuruzfeld.
In Austria, a cornfield is also called a 'Kukuruzfeld'.
Compare with
Mais vs Popcorn
popcorn
'Mais' and 'Popcorn' are directly related, but they are not the same thing. 'Mais' is the plant or the yellow kernels, which can also be cooked, grilled, or used as an ingredient. 'Popcorn' is a snack made from certain heated corn kernels. Learners may confuse the words because popcorn is made from corn. In the supermarket or when cooking, you usually say 'Mais'. At the cinema or when talking about a snack, you say 'Popcorn'.
Mais
Sarah kauft morgen Mais für den Salat.
Sarah is buying corn for the salad tomorrow.
Popcorn
Im Kino teilen wir uns eine große Tüte Popcorn.
At the cinema, we share a large bag of popcorn.
In real life
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