ribs / little rib
das Rippchen, die Rippchen
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ribs
A cut of meat containing rib bones, usually pork, eaten roasted, grilled, or boiled. In this sense, the word is mostly used in the plural.
Zum Abendessen gab es gegrillte Rippchen mit einer würzigen Soße.
For dinner, we had grilled ribs with a flavorful sauce.
little rib
A small or delicate rib, one of the curved bones of the rib cage.
Bei dem mageren Kätzchen konnte man jedes Rippchen unter der Haut erkennen.
You could see every little rib beneath the skinny kitten's skin.
| gender | neuter das |
|---|---|
| plural | die Rippchen |
| genitive | des Rippchens |
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | das Rippchen | die Rippchen |
| accusative | das Rippchen | die Rippchen |
| dative | dem Rippchen | den Rippchen |
| genitive | des Rippchens | der Rippchen |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
'Rippchen' (little rib) is formed from 'Rippe' (rib) and the diminutive suffix '-chen'; the final 'e' of 'Rippe' is dropped. This connection helps you recognize the reference to the bone even when the word refers to the meat dish.
An den Rippchen war nur wenig Fleisch.
There was very little meat on the ribs.
Common cooking expressions include 'Rippchen marinieren' (to marinate ribs), 'Rippchen grillen' (to grill ribs), and 'Rippchen schmoren' (to braise ribs). Recipes also often use 'Rippchen mit Soße bestreichen' (to brush ribs with sauce).
Bestreiche die Rippchen kurz vor Ende der Garzeit mit der Soße.
Brush the ribs with the sauce shortly before the end of the cooking time.
When referring to the body of a small animal or a baby, 'Rippchen' (little ribs) means the bones of the rib cage; the diminutive emphasizes that the animal or child is small and delicate. For adults and larger animals, use 'Rippen' (ribs), as in the expression 'man kann bei jemandem die Rippen zählen' (you can count someone's ribs).
Beim Streicheln spürte das Kind die zarten Rippchen des Hamsters.
As the child stroked the hamster, they could feel its delicate little ribs.
