der Schrott
scrap metal
Old, unusable objects made of metal that are collected for recycling as raw material.
EXAMPLE
Er hat sein altes, rostiges Fahrrad zum Schrott gebracht.
He took his old, rusty bicycle to the scrap yard.
der Schrott
scrap / junk
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Meanings
der Schrott
junk
A colloquial expression for something that is of very poor quality, broken, or completely worthless.
EXAMPLE
Das neue Handy war billig, aber es ist der reinste Schrott und funktioniert schon nicht mehr.
The new phone was cheap, but it is complete junk and already doesn't work anymore.
der Schrott
nonsense
Colloquial for nonsense, stupid or pointless talk.
EXAMPLE
Hör auf, so einen Schrott zu erzählen, das glaubt dir doch niemand.
Stop talking such nonsense; nobody is going to believe you.
Usage tips
Uncountable noun
'Schrott' (scrap/junk) is an uncountable noun, or mass noun, in all its meanings. It is therefore normally used without a plural article and only rarely with an indefinite article in the singular.
EXAMPLE
Auf dem Hof lag überall alter Schrott herum.
There was old scrap lying around everywhere in the yard.
Register and style
The literal meaning 'Altmetall' (scrap metal) is neutral. The figurative meanings for worthless things or nonsense are strongly colloquial and should be avoided in formal situations.
EXAMPLE
Er nannte meine Lieblingsserie „Schrott“, was mich geärgert hat.
He called my favorite series 'Schrott' (junk), which annoyed me.
Typical collocations
In the meaning 'Altmetall' (scrap metal), 'Schrott' is often connected with places or actions related to disposal. Typical phrases are 'etwas zum Schrott werfen' (to throw something out as scrap), 'auf dem Schrottplatz landen' (to end up in the scrap yard), or 'Schrott sammeln' (to collect scrap).
EXAMPLE
Die alten Heizkörper kommen auf den Schrott.
The old radiators are going to the scrap yard.
Use as a judgment
In the colloquial meaning for poor quality, 'Schrott' (junk) is often used as a strong negative judgment about an object. Typical expressions are 'Das ist doch Schrott!' (That's junk!) or 'totaler Schrott' (total junk).
EXAMPLE
Kauf das billige Werkzeug nicht, das ist absoluter Schrott.
Don't buy that cheap tool; it's absolute junk.
Colloquial for nonsense
When 'Schrott' refers to information, ideas, or talk, it means 'Unsinn' (nonsense). Typical verbs in this context are 'reden' (to talk) or 'erzählen' (to tell).
EXAMPLE
Er redet nur Schrott, seit er zurückgekommen ist.
He has been talking nothing but nonsense since he came back.
Compare with
Schrott vs Mist
crap / manure
Mist and Schrott can both disparage something as being of very poor quality. Mist is a general negative judgment and can also express annoyance. Schrott is especially appropriate when the thing is broken, completely worthless, or practically unusable.
Schrott
Diese App ist Schrott, weil sie gar nicht mehr funktioniert und unbrauchbar ist.
This app is junk because it no longer works at all and is unusable.
Mist
Diese App ist Mist, weil sie schlecht gestaltet ist und mich ständig ärgert.
This app is crap because it is poorly designed and constantly annoys me.
In real life
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