der Sesam
sesame
A plant grown in warm countries whose seeds contain a lot of oil.
EXAMPLE
Der Sesam wächst am besten in warmem, trockenem Klima.
Sesame grows best in a warm, dry climate.
der Sesam
sesame
der Sesam, die Sesams
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Meanings
der Sesam
sesame seeds
The small, oil rich seeds of this plant, used as a spice or to make oil.
EXAMPLE
Auf dem Brot ist gerösteter Sesam.
There are toasted sesame seeds on the bread.
Sesam, öffne dich!
Open Sesame!
A fixed expression from a fairy tale that magically opens a locked door. It is also used humorously for a magic word or solution that provides access to something.
EXAMPLE
„Sesam, öffne dich!“, sagte er scherzhaft und drückte auf den Türöffner.
"Open Sesame!" he said jokingly and pressed the door opener.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Sesam, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | masculine der |
|---|---|
| plural | die Sesams |
| genitive | des Sesams |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | der Sesam | die Sesams |
| accusative | den Sesam | die Sesams |
| dative | dem Sesam | den Sesams |
| genitive | des Sesams | der Sesams |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Compound words
'Sesam' (sesame) is a productive part of compound words, for example 'Sesamöl' (sesame oil), 'Sesamsamen' (sesame seeds), and 'Sesamkörner' (sesame seeds). Such compounds often show more precisely whether the plant, the seeds, or the oil made from them is meant.
EXAMPLE
Für das Dressing braucht man Sesamöl und etwas Zitronensaft.
The dressing requires sesame oil and a little lemon juice.
Plant context
When 'Sesam' (sesame) refers to the plant, it is often used with verbs such as 'anbauen' (to grow), 'wachsen' (to grow), and 'ernten' (to harvest). This context relates to agriculture or botany.
EXAMPLE
In dieser Region wird Sesam seit Jahrhunderten angebaut.
Sesame has been grown in this region for centuries.
Typical collocations
For the seeds, expressions such as 'gerösteter Sesam' (toasted sesame), 'Sesam auf dem Brot' (sesame on the bread), and 'mit Sesam bestreuen' (to sprinkle with sesame) are especially common. In recipes, 'Sesam' (sesame) is often used without an article as a substance noun.
EXAMPLE
Vor dem Backen bestreut sie die Brötchen mit Sesam.
Before baking, she sprinkles the rolls with sesame.
Fairy-tale formula
'Sesam, öffne dich!' (Open Sesame!) is a fixed, fairy-tale formula. Today it is usually used humorously or figuratively when a password, key, or special solution provides access to something.
EXAMPLE
Das richtige Passwort war das „Sesam, öffne dich!“ für das verschlüsselte Archiv.
The correct password was the "Open Sesame!" for the encrypted archive.
In real life
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