01
das Pfund
pound
A unit of weight that corresponds to 500 grams in Germany and many other countries.
example
Ich hätte gern ein Pfund Hackfleisch, bitte.
I'd like a pound of ground meat, please.
das Pfund
pound
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Meanings
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Usage tips
False friend
The German unit of weight 'Pfund' corresponds to 500 grams. It is not the same as the English 'pound', which weighs only about 454 grams.
EXAMPLE
Für den Kuchen brauche ich genau ein Pfund Mehl.
I need exactly one Pfund of flour for the cake.
Plural forms
The plural form depends on the meaning. With weight and currency amounts, it often remains 'Pfund'. But when talking about the pounds one wants to lose, or about abilities, you use 'Pfunde'.
EXAMPLE
Das kostet zwanzig Pfund.
That costs twenty pounds.
Context clue
You can tell from context whether the unit of weight or the currency is meant. Words like 'Gramm' (grams), 'Kilo' (kilo), or 'Fleisch' (meat) point to weight. Words like 'bezahlen' (to pay), 'kosten' (to cost), or 'Bank' (bank) point to the currency.
EXAMPLE
Ein Pfund Kirschen kostet heute drei Euro.
A pound of cherries costs three euros today.
Use when shopping
When ordering an amount, 'Pfund' is placed directly before the noun, without the preposition 'von' (of). This phrasing is especially common at the butcher's or at the market.
EXAMPLE
Ich nehme bitte ein Pfund Tomaten.
I'll take a pound of tomatoes, please.
Fixed expression
The idiom 'mit seinen Pfunden wuchern' means to use one's talents or advantages skillfully. The possessive pronoun is adapted to the person.
EXAMPLE
Mit ihrer Kreativität kann sie bei diesem Projekt wirklich wuchern.
With her creativity, she can really play to her strengths in this project.
Compare with
Pfund vs Kg
kg
'das Kg' and 'das Pfund' can both indicate weights. The important difference is the amount: one kilogram is 1000 grams, while one 'Pfund' in Germany is 500 grams. So one 'Pfund' is half a kilogram. Learners may confuse the words because you hear both when shopping or cooking. If a recipe says '1 kg', you need twice as much as for '1 Pfund'. The other meanings of 'Pfund', for example as a currency, are not meant here.
Pfund
Ein Pfund Erdbeeren reicht heute für den Kuchen.
A pound of strawberries is enough for the cake today.
Kg
Für die Suppe kauft Mehmet 2 kg Kartoffeln.
Mehmet buys 2 kg of potatoes for the soup.
In real life
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