der Pelz
fur
The dense, soft coat of hair of certain mammals, which protects them from the cold.
EXAMPLE
Der Bär hat einen dicken Pelz, der ihn im Winter wärmt.
The bear has thick fur that keeps it warm in winter.
der Pelz
fur
der Pelz, die Pelze
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Meanings
der Pelz
fur garment
A piece of clothing, especially a coat or jacket, made from the fur of animals.
EXAMPLE
Aus ethischen Gründen tragen heute viele Menschen keinen echten Pelz mehr.
For ethical reasons, many people today no longer wear real fur.
jemandem auf den Pelz rücken
to crowd someone
To come too close to someone, pressure them, or become intrusive.
EXAMPLE
Die Reporter rückten dem Politiker nach der Pressekonferenz ordentlich auf den Pelz.
The reporters really crowded the politician after the press conference.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Pelz, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | masculine der |
|---|---|
| plural | die Pelze |
| genitive | des Pelzes |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | der Pelz | die Pelze |
| accusative | den Pelz | die Pelze |
| dative | dem Pelz | den Pelzen |
| genitive | des Pelzes | der Pelze |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Context clue
To distinguish the meanings, pay attention to the context. If someone is talking about an animal, it refers to its coat of hair. If it is about clothing that a person wears, it means a garment.
EXAMPLE
Der Pelz des Fuchses ist im Winter besonders dicht.
The fox's fur is especially thick in winter.
Dative construction
In the fixed expression 'jemandem auf den Pelz rücken' (to crowd someone / to get too close to someone), the person being pressured is always in the dative. The structure is therefore: [person in the dative] + 'auf den Pelz rücken'.
EXAMPLE
Die Verkäufer im Basar sind mir zu sehr auf den Pelz gerückt.
The vendors at the bazaar crowded me too much.
Typical collocations
When referring to the coat of hair of animals, 'Pelz' (fur) is often combined with adjectives such as 'dicht' (dense/thick), 'weich' (soft), or 'warm' (warm).
EXAMPLE
Der Biber hat einen sehr dichten und wasserabweisenden Pelz.
The beaver has very dense and water-repellent fur.
Typical collocations
In connection with clothing, the combinations 'einen Pelz tragen' (to wear fur) and the distinction between 'echtem Pelz' (real fur) and 'künstlichem Pelz' (artificial fur) or 'Kunstpelz' (faux fur) are very common.
EXAMPLE
Sie trägt aus Überzeugung nur künstlichen Pelz.
Out of conviction, she only wears faux fur.
Compare with
Pelz vs Fell
fur / drumhead
Both words can refer to the natural hair covering of a mammal. „Fell“ is the general term, while „Pelz“ often refers to especially thick, soft hair and also to clothing made from it. Use „Fell“ neutrally for an animal and „Pelz“ often for the material or clothing.
Pelz
Der alte Pelz im Schrank ist sehr warm, aber heute trägt ihn niemand mehr.
The old fur coat in the closet is very warm, but no one wears it anymore.
Fell
Das dichte Fell des Fuchses schützt ihn im Winter vor der Kälte.
The fox's thick fur protects it from the cold in winter.
In real life
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