rake / abacus
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rake
A garden tool with a long handle and a row of teeth at the end, used for gathering leaves or hay, or for smoothing soil.
Im Herbst muss ich mit dem Rechen das ganze Laub im Garten zusammenkehren.
In autumn, I have to use the rake to gather up all the leaves in the garden.
abacus
A historical calculating aid, also called an abacus, consisting of a frame with rods on which beads are moved in order to perform calculations.
In der Antike wurde der Rechen als mechanisches Rechenhilfsmittel verwendet.
In ancient times, the abacus was used as a mechanical calculating aid.
The word 'der Rechen' has two different origins that explain the two meanings. The garden tool comes from the verb 'rechen' (to rake together), while the calculating aid comes from the verb 'rechnen' (to calculate).
Gib mir bitte den Rechen, ich möchte das Laub zusammenkehren.
Please give me the rake; I want to gather up the leaves.
When 'Rechen' is mentioned, words like 'Garten' (garden), 'Laub' (leaves), 'Erde' (soil), 'Heu' (hay), or 'zusammenkehren' (to gather up/sweep together) almost always point to the garden tool. This meaning is by far the most common in everyday life.
Nach dem Mähen habe ich das Gras mit dem Rechen gesammelt.
After mowing, I collected the grass with the rake.
The matching verb for the garden tool is 'rechen' (to rake). You use the tool to 'zusammenrechen' (rake together) something or to 'rechen' (rake) an area.
Ich muss noch die Beete im Gemüsegarten rechen.
I still have to rake the beds in the vegetable garden.
You can recognize the meaning 'Abakus' (abacus) from words like 'rechnen' (to calculate), 'Kugeln' (beads), 'Antike' (ancient times), or 'Hilfsmittel' (aid/tool). This usage is rare and usually limited to historical or mathematical contexts.
Im Museum wurde gezeigt, wie man mit einem alten Rechen addiert.
At the museum, they showed how to add with an old abacus.
