die Politur
polish
A substance used to polish surfaces and give them a shine.
EXAMPLE
Für das alte Holz brauche ich eine spezielle Politur.
I need a special polish for the old wood.
die Politur
polish
die Politur, die Polituren
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Meanings
die Politur
polishing / shine
The act of polishing a surface or the shine it produces.
EXAMPLE
Nach der Politur glänzte das Auto wieder.
After polishing, the car gleamed again.
die Politur
polish
A refinement of language or style that makes something seem more elegant and effective.
EXAMPLE
Der Redakteur gab dem Artikel noch eine sprachliche Politur.
The editor gave the article some additional stylistic polish.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Politur, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | feminine die |
|---|---|
| plural | die Polituren |
| genitive | der Politur |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | die Politur | die Polituren |
| accusative | die Politur | die Polituren |
| dative | der Politur | den Polituren |
| genitive | der Politur | der Polituren |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Context clues
Verbs such as 'auftragen' (to apply) and 'kaufen' (to buy) indicate that 'Politur' (polish) refers to a substance. 'Nach der Politur' (after polishing) usually refers to the treatment of a surface; words such as 'Text' (text) or 'sprachlich' (linguistic) point to the figurative meaning.
EXAMPLE
Tragen Sie die Politur mit einem weichen Tuch auf.
Apply the polish with a soft cloth.
Nach der Politur waren auf dem Silber keine Flecken mehr zu sehen.
After polishing, there were no more visible stains on the silver.
Die Rede braucht vor dem Auftritt noch etwas sprachliche Politur.
The speech needs a little more stylistic polish before it is delivered.
Typical collocations
Common collocations are 'Politur auftragen' (to apply polish), 'Politur einreiben' (to rub in polish), and 'Politur einwirken lassen' (to leave polish to work). You can use 'für' (for) to specify which material the product is suitable for.
EXAMPLE
Lass die Politur für Holz kurz einwirken und beachte dabei die Hinweise auf der Flasche.
Leave the wood polish to work for a short time, following the instructions on the bottle.
Describing the treatment
Use 'etwas einer Politur unterziehen' (to give something a polish) to describe the treatment of a surface. The item being treated is in the accusative; 'einer Politur' is in the dative.
EXAMPLE
Die Werkstatt hat den Wagen einer gründlichen Politur unterzogen.
The repair shop gave the car a thorough polishing.
Final revision
In figurative use, 'einem Text die letzte Politur geben' (to give a text its final polish) is a typical expression for the final revision. The text is in the dative, while 'die letzte Politur' (the final polish) is in the accusative.
EXAMPLE
Vor der Veröffentlichung gab die Autorin ihrem Bericht die letzte Politur.
Before publication, the author gave her report its final polish.
In real life
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