das Silber
silver
A shiny white, valuable metal known as the chemical element Ag and used for jewelry, coins, and industrial purposes.
EXAMPLE
Diese Kette ist aus echtem Silber gefertigt.
This necklace is made of real silver.
das Silber
silver
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Meanings
das Silber
silverware
Objects made of silver, especially cutlery or dishes.
EXAMPLE
Zu besonderen Anlässen holt meine Großmutter das Silber aus der Vitrine.
On special occasions, my grandmother takes the silverware out of the display cabinet.
das Silber
silver
The silver medal awarded for second place in a sporting or other competition.
EXAMPLE
Der Schwimmer gewann bei den Olympischen Spielen Silber über 200 Meter.
The swimmer won silver in the 200 meters at the Olympic Games.
das Silber
silver
The color silver; a light, metallic shade of gray.
EXAMPLE
Sie hat ihr Auto in einem eleganten Silber lackieren lassen.
She had her car painted an elegant silver.
Usage tips
Word family
The adjective 'silbern' (silver/silvery) is derived from the noun 'das Silber' (silver). It means either 'made of silver' or 'silver-colored'.
EXAMPLE
Sie trug eine silberne Halskette.
She wore a silver necklace.
Use of the article
The use of the article helps distinguish the meanings. 'Silber' (silver) without an article usually refers to the material or the color. 'Das Silber' (the silver) often refers to a specific collection of objects, usually the silver cutlery.
EXAMPLE
Der Ring ist aus Silber.
The ring is made of silver.
Context: sports
In the context of sports and competitions, 'Silber' (silver) almost always means the silver medal for second place. Typical verbs in this context are 'gewinnen' (to win) or 'holen' (to take/win).
EXAMPLE
Die deutsche Mannschaft holte bei der Weltmeisterschaft Silber.
The German team won silver at the world championship.
Context: cutlery
When 'das Silber' (the silver) is spoken of as a whole, it often means a family's valuable cutlery and dishes. A typical verb in this context is 'polieren' (to polish).
EXAMPLE
Vor Weihnachten wird bei uns immer das gute Silber geputzt.
Before Christmas, we always clean the good silverware.
Compare with
Silber vs Silbermedaille
silver medal
Silber and Silbermedaille can both refer to second place. Silber refers generally to the competition result that was won, while Silbermedaille refers to the individual object awarded for it. Silber is appropriate when reporting the result; Silbermedaille is used when presenting or describing the object.
Silber
Die Läuferin gewann bei der Meisterschaft Silber.
The runner won silver at the championship.
Silbermedaille
Bei der Siegerehrung nahm die Läuferin ihre Silbermedaille entgegen.
At the medal ceremony, the runner received her silver medal.
In real life
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