01
der Regentropfen
raindrop
A single drop of water that falls from the sky as rain.
example
Ein großer Regentropfen landete genau auf meiner Nase.
A large raindrop landed right on my nose.
der Regentropfen
raindrop
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word composition
The word is a clear compound of 'der Regen' (rain) and 'der Tropfen' (drop). It means exactly that literally: a drop of rain.
EXAMPLE
Der erste Regentropfen fiel auf die trockene Erde.
The first raindrop fell onto the dry ground.
Typical collocations
Common adjectives are 'einzelne' (single), 'erste' (first), 'dicke' (large/heavy), or 'schwere' (heavy) raindrops. Typical verbs are 'fallen' (to fall) or 'prasseln' (to patter, when there are many).
EXAMPLE
Dicke Regentropfen prasselten gegen die Fensterscheibe.
Heavy raindrops pattered against the windowpane.
Singular and plural
The singular 'der Regentropfen' (raindrop) is used to emphasize one single, isolated drop. The plural 'die Regentropfen' (raindrops) describes rain as a whole or a large number of drops.
EXAMPLE
Ein einziger Regentropfen kann der Anfang eines Gewitters sein.
A single raindrop can be the beginning of a thunderstorm.
Compare with
Regentropfen vs Regen
rain
'der Regen' and 'der Regentropfen' both belong to weather and to water from clouds. 'der Regen' means the whole weather event or the amount of drops falling from the sky. 'der Regentropfen' means only one single drop. Learners may confuse the words because both have to do with rain. A practical rule: when talking about the weather, you usually use 'Regen'. When describing a single drop, 'Regentropfen' fits better.
Regentropfen
Ein Regentropfen lief über das Fenster, während ich im Bus saß.
A raindrop ran down the window while I was sitting on the bus.
Regen
Wegen des starken Regens ist die Gruppe am Abend zu Hause geblieben.
Because of the heavy rain, the group stayed at home in the evening.
In real life
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