pimple / pickaxe
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pimple
A small, often inflamed bump on the skin that forms because of a clogged pore.
Vor dem wichtigen Termin hat er einen großen Pickel auf der Nase bekommen.
Before the important appointment, he got a big pimple on his nose.
'Der Pickel' sounds like the English word 'pickle', but it has a completely different meaning. A 'Pickel' is a skin blemish or a tool. A pickled cucumber is called 'die Gewürzgurke' or 'die Essiggurke' in German.
Ich habe einen nervigen Pickel auf der Stirn.
I have an annoying pimple on my forehead.
The context tells you whether the skin blemish or the tool is meant. Words like 'Gesicht' (face), 'Haut' (skin), or 'bekommen' (to get) point to the skin blemish. Words like 'Gestein' (rock), 'Boden' (ground), or 'Arbeiter' (workers) point to the tool.
Sie hat einen kleinen Pickel am Kinn.
She has a small pimple on her chin.
In connection with skin blemishes, the verbs 'haben' (to have) and 'bekommen' (to get) are very common. A typical colloquial phrase is also 'einen Pickel ausdrücken' (to pop a pimple).
Man sollte Pickel nicht ausdrücken, da es zu Entzündungen führen kann.
You shouldn't pop pimples, as it can lead to inflammation.
When the tool is meant, it is often used with verbs like 'benutzen' (to use), 'schwingen' (to swing), or in combination with materials like 'Fels' (rock), 'Eis' (ice), or 'harter Boden' (hard ground).
Mit einem Pickel schlugen die Bergsteiger Stufen ins Eis.
With a pickaxe, the mountaineers cut steps into the ice.
Finn / pimple
'der Pickel' and 'der Finne' can both mean a small inflamed spot on the skin. In this sense, they are synonyms. 'Pickel' is much more common in everyday language and is understood by everyone. 'Finne' is less common with this meaning and can easily be misunderstood, because 'der Finne' also means a man from Finland. When talking about skin, 'Pickel' is usually the more natural choice.
Vor dem wichtigen Termin hatte Marie einen Pickel auf der Stirn.
Before the important appointment, Marie had a pimple on her forehead.
Die Ärztin erklärte, dass die kleine Finne auf der Haut harmlos ist.
The doctor explained that the small pimple on the skin was harmless.