01
die Rippe
rib
One of the curved bones that form the rib cage of humans and animals and protect the internal organs.
example
Er hat sich beim Fahrradunfall eine Rippe gebrochen.
He broke a rib in the bicycle accident.
die Rippe
rib
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Context clue
You can recognize the meaning from the verb and the context. In a medical context with verbs like 'brechen' (to break) or 'prellen' (to bruise), the bone is meant. In a culinary context with verbs like 'grillen' (to grill) or 'essen' (to eat), the meat dish is meant.
EXAMPLE
Atmen Sie tief ein. Spüren Sie einen Schmerz an der Rippe?
Take a deep breath. Do you feel pain in your rib?
Typical collocations
In connection with the bone, the most common collocations are injuries. Typically, you say 'sich eine Rippe brechen' (to break a rib) or 'sich eine Rippe prellen' (to bruise a rib).
EXAMPLE
Der Fußballspieler hat sich im Spiel zwei Rippen geprellt.
The soccer player bruised two ribs during the game.
Use as food
When 'Rippe' (rib) refers to a dish, it is often used in the plural ('Rippen' (ribs)) or as the diminutive 'Rippchen' (small ribs/ribs). 'Rippchen' sounds more typical for a prepared dish.
EXAMPLE
Diese marinierten Rippchen sind eine Spezialität des Hauses.
These marinated ribs are a house specialty.
Fixed expression
The idiom 'sich etwas aus den Rippen schneiden müssen' literally means having to cut something out of one's ribs. It means that you can only pay for or manage something with great sacrifice or a lot of effort.
EXAMPLE
Für das neue Auto musste er sich das Geld wirklich aus den Rippen schneiden.
He really had to scrape together the money for the new car.
Compare with
Rippe vs Brustkorb
rib cage
'die Rippe' and 'der Brustkorb' are both parts of the body and protect important organs such as the heart and lungs. A rib is a single curved bone. The rib cage is the whole bony area in the upper body and consists of several ribs, the breastbone, and the spine. Learners may confuse the words because both are in the same area of the body. A practical way to think about it is: a rib is one part; the rib cage is the whole.
Rippe
Nach dem Sturz tut mir eine Rippe beim Atmen weh.
After the fall, one of my ribs hurts when I breathe.
Brustkorb
Im Krankenhaus untersucht die Ärztin den Brustkorb des Patienten.
At the hospital, the doctor examines the patient's rib cage.
In real life
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