die Schmiere
grime
A dirty, greasy, or sticky substance that clings to something.
EXAMPLE
An der Türklinke klebte schwarze Schmiere.
Black grime clung to the door handle.
die Schmiere
grime / grease
die Schmiere, die Schmieren
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Meanings
die Schmiere
grease
A fatty substance used to lubricate machines or moving parts.
EXAMPLE
Der Mechaniker trug neue Schmiere auf das Lager auf.
The mechanic applied fresh grease to the bearing.
Schmiere stehen
to keep watch
To keep watch and warn others while they do something forbidden or secret.
EXAMPLE
Während die anderen das Fahrrad stahlen, stand er Schmiere.
While the others stole the bicycle, he kept watch.
die Schmiere
third-rate theater
Informal and derogatory: a bad or undemanding play, or a poor theatrical performance.
EXAMPLE
Diese Schmiere sehe ich mir kein zweites Mal an.
I'm not watching this third-rate theater a second time.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Schmiere, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance (die)
| gender | feminine die |
|---|---|
| plural | die Schmieren |
| genitive | der Schmiere |
The four cases (die)
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | die Schmiere | die Schmieren |
| accusative | die Schmiere | die Schmieren |
| dative | der Schmiere | den Schmieren |
| genitive | der Schmiere | der Schmieren |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
At a glance (die)
| gender | feminine die |
|---|---|
| genitive | der Schmiere |
The four cases (die)
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | die Schmiere | – |
| accusative | die Schmiere | – |
| dative | der Schmiere | – |
| genitive | der Schmiere | – |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Word family
'Schmiere' (grime / grease) belongs to the same word family as 'schmieren' (to smear / lubricate). This connection helps you recognize the basic idea of something greasy or applied to a surface, from which some figurative meanings have also developed.
EXAMPLE
Beim Reparieren entdeckte er unter der Maschine alte Schmiere.
While doing repairs, he discovered old grease under the machine.
Typical collocations
When referring to the sticky or greasy substance, adjectives such as 'schwarz' (black), 'fettig' (greasy), or 'klebrig' (sticky) are often used. It is also common to describe 'Schmiere' (grime) as sticking or clinging to something.
EXAMPLE
An seinen Händen klebte eine schwarze Schmiere.
Black grime clung to his hands.
Technical collocations
In its technical sense, 'Schmiere' (grease) is often associated with maintenance work. Typical collocations are 'Schmiere auftragen' (to apply grease), 'Schmiere nachfüllen' (to top up the grease), and 'Schmiere für ein Lager verwenden' (to use grease for a bearing).
EXAMPLE
Vor der Wartung entfernte der Mechaniker die alte Schmiere aus dem Lager.
Before servicing it, the mechanic removed the old grease from the bearing.
Fixed expression
'Schmiere stehen' (to keep watch) is a fixed informal expression. The person keeping watch looks out and warns others that they might be discovered.
EXAMPLE
Während seine Freunde in das Gebäude gingen, stand Jonas draußen Schmiere.
While his friends went into the building, Jonas kept watch outside.
Derogatory expression
In the sense of 'schlechte Theateraufführung' (poor theatrical performance), 'Schmiere' (third-rate theater) is distinctly informal and derogatory. The word expresses that someone considers the performance cheap, bad, or exaggerated.
EXAMPLE
Das Publikum verließ die Schmiere schon während der Pause.
The audience walked out of the third-rate theater production during the intermission.
In real life
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