der Schlamm
mud
A wet, mushy mass made of soil, sand, or clay and water. It often forms after rain or near bodies of water.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem starken Regen waren unsere Schuhe voller Schlamm.
After the heavy rain, our shoes were covered in mud.
der Schlamm
mud
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Meanings
der Schlamm
mineral mud
Fine-grained sediment that is rich in minerals and used for medical or cosmetic applications, for example in the form of packs or baths.
EXAMPLE
Eine Packung mit heißem Schlamm soll bei Gelenkschmerzen helfen.
A pack with hot mineral mud is supposed to help with joint pain.
Usage tips
Use as a mass noun
Like 'Wasser' (water) or 'Sand' (sand), 'Schlamm' (mud) is usually an uncountable noun, or mass noun. It is often used without an article or with quantity words like 'viel' (a lot of) or 'etwas' (some).
EXAMPLE
Überall auf der Straße war Schlamm.
There was mud everywhere on the road.
Typical collocations
In the meaning of 'feuchte Erde' (wet soil), 'Schlamm' (mud) is often combined with verbs of movement. Typical phrases are 'im Schlamm stecken bleiben' (to get stuck in the mud), 'durch den Schlamm waten' (to wade through the mud), or 'sich durch den Schlamm kämpfen' (to struggle through the mud).
EXAMPLE
Das Auto ist im tiefen Schlamm stecken geblieben.
The car got stuck in the deep mud.
Context clue
You can recognize the medical or cosmetic meaning from words from the health and wellness field. Pay attention to terms like 'Packung' (pack), 'Bad' (bath), 'Kur' (treatment/cure), 'heilsam' (healing), or 'mineralreich' (rich in minerals).
EXAMPLE
Im Wellnesshotel werden auch Schlammbäder angeboten.
The wellness hotel also offers mud baths.
Compare with
Schlamm vs Dreck
dirt / crap
Dreck and Schlamm can both refer to dirt on shoes or clothing. Schlamm more precisely describes a wet, mushy mass of soil and water, whereas Dreck refers to the dirt more generally and evaluates it colloquially. Use Schlamm when the wet consistency is important; otherwise, Dreck is appropriate.
Schlamm
Nach dem Spaziergang musste ich den Schlamm von meinen Schuhen waschen.
After the walk, I had to wash the mud off my shoes.
Dreck
Nach dem Spaziergang musste ich den Dreck von meinen Schuhen waschen.
After the walk, I had to wash the dirt off my shoes.
In real life
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