salzen
to salt
To add salt to food in order to improve or change the flavor.
EXAMPLE
Ich glaube, du musst die Suppe noch etwas salzen.
I think you still need to salt the soup a little.
salzen
to salt
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Meanings
salzen
to salt
To spread salt on roads and paths to make ice and snow melt.
EXAMPLE
Der Winterdienst muss heute Nacht die Brücken salzen.
The winter road maintenance service has to salt the bridges tonight.
salzen
to salt
To rub food, especially meat or fish, with salt or place it in brine in order to preserve it.
EXAMPLE
Früher hat man Heringe gesalzen, um sie für den langen Winter haltbar zu machen.
In the past, people salted herring to preserve it for the long winter.
salzen
to overcharge
Colloquial for charging an excessive or unreasonably high price.
EXAMPLE
Der Handwerker hat die Rechnung für die kleine Reparatur ordentlich gesalzen.
The tradesman really overcharged for the small repair.
Usage tips
Word family
The verb 'salzen' (to salt) is derived directly from the noun 'das Salz' (salt). All meanings have to do with salt, either literally or figuratively.
EXAMPLE
Kannst du mir bitte das Salz geben? Ich muss die Kartoffeln noch salzen.
Can you please pass me the salt? I still need to salt the potatoes.
Context clue
The context makes the meaning clear. If people are talking about food and cooking, it refers to seasoning. If they are talking about winter, ice, and roads, it refers to spreading salt.
EXAMPLE
Du hast den Salat zu stark gesalzen.
You salted the salad too much.
Register: Colloquial
The meaning 'einen hohen Preis fordern' (to charge a high price) is colloquial. It is used to complain about an expensive bill or high prices.
EXAMPLE
Für diese kleine Reparatur hat er die Rechnung ganz schön gesalzen.
For this small repair, he really overcharged quite a bit.
Participle as adjective
In the colloquial meaning, the past participle 'gesalzen' is often used like an adjective. People then speak of 'gesalzenen Preisen' (steep prices).
EXAMPLE
Die Getränkepreise in diesem Club sind wirklich gesalzen.
The drink prices in this club are really steep.
Context: Preservation
When it is about preserving food, 'salzen' (to salt) is often used in the context of traditional methods or food production. Typical objects are fish or meat.
EXAMPLE
Um den Schinken haltbar zu machen, wird er zuerst gesalzen und dann geräuchert.
To preserve the ham, it is first salted and then smoked.
Compare with
salzen vs streuen
to scatter / spread
Both streuen and salzen can mean distributing material on an icy path. salzen explicitly refers to salt and the purpose of making ice and snow melt, while streuen describes distributing various small materials. Use salzen for salt and streuen for sand or other materials.
salzen
Der Hausmeister salzt heute den vereisten Gehweg, damit Eis und Schnee schmelzen.
The caretaker is salting the icy sidewalk today so that the ice and snow will melt.
streuen
Der Hausmeister streut heute Sand auf den vereisten Gehweg.
The caretaker is spreading sand on the icy sidewalk today.
In real life
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