sieve / strainer
Loading your saved state.
sieve / strainer
A kitchen utensil with a mesh or perforated surface used to separate solids from liquids or fine particles from coarser ones.
Um Klümpchen zu vermeiden, sollte man das Mehl durch ein Sieb in den Teig geben.
To avoid lumps, you should add the flour to the batter through a sieve.
sieve
In a figurative sense, something that has many holes and is leaky, for example a poor defense or a memory that forgets a lot.
Die Abwehr der Mannschaft war ein einziges Sieb und ließ fünf Gegentore zu.
The team's defense was a complete sieve and allowed five goals.
'Das Sieb' (the sieve) is the tool for the activity 'sieben' (to sift). When you 'sieben' (sift) flour or powdered sugar, you use 'ein Sieb' (a sieve).
Für den Kuchen musst du zuerst das Mehl sieben.
For the cake, you first have to sift the flour.
The literal meaning refers to a kitchen utensil. You can recognize the figurative meaning from abstract nouns like 'Gedächtnis' (memory) or from a context such as sports, where it describes a weak defense.
Gib die Nudeln zum Abtropfen in ein Sieb.
Put the pasta in a strainer to drain.
In the kitchen, an action involving a sieve is almost always described with the preposition 'durch' (through). You put, press, or pass something 'durch ein Sieb' (through a sieve).
Für eine feine Soße muss man die Tomaten durch ein Sieb streichen.
For a smooth sauce, you have to press the tomatoes through a sieve.
In the figurative meaning, there are fixed idioms. 'Ein Gedächtnis wie ein Sieb haben' (to have a memory like a sieve) means to be very forgetful. 'Die Abwehr ist ein Sieb' (the defense is a sieve) means that a sports team defends very badly.
Die gegnerische Mannschaft schoss drei Tore, unsere Abwehr war ein einziges Sieb.
The opposing team scored three goals; our defense was a complete sieve.
filter
Filter and Sieb can both separate solid particles from a liquid. A Filter usually also retains fine particles by means of permeable material. A Sieb separates substances according to the size of its holes or mesh and is therefore more suitable for larger pieces.
Das Sieb hält die größeren Apfelstücke aus dem Saft zurück.
The strainer retains the larger pieces of apple from the juice.
Der Filter hält feine Schwebstoffe aus dem Apfelsaft zurück.
The filter retains fine suspended particles from the apple juice.
