die Sprühdose
spray can
A container, usually made of metal, that releases a liquid or another substance under pressure as a fine mist.
EXAMPLE
Die Sprühdose mit der roten Farbe ist fast leer.
The spray can of red paint is almost empty.
die Sprühdose
spray can
die Sprühdose, die Sprühdosen
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Meanings
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Sprühdose, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | feminine die |
|---|---|
| plural | die Sprühdosen |
| genitive | der Sprühdose |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | die Sprühdose | die Sprühdosen |
| accusative | die Sprühdose | die Sprühdosen |
| dative | der Sprühdose | den Sprühdosen |
| genitive | der Sprühdose | der Sprühdosen |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Word formation
'Sprühdose' (spray can) is made up of 'sprühen' (to spray) and 'Dose' (can). The word therefore refers to a can from which you can spray something.
EXAMPLE
Die Sprühdose liegt neben dem Pinsel auf dem Tisch.
The spray can is on the table next to the paintbrush.
Typical collocations
Common phrases include 'eine Sprühdose benutzen' (to use a spray can), 'mit einer Sprühdose sprühen' (to spray with a spray can), and 'eine Sprühdose schütteln' (to shake a spray can). Especially with paints and cleaning products, the can is often shaken before use.
EXAMPLE
Vor dem Lackieren muss man die Sprühdose gründlich schütteln.
You need to shake the spray can thoroughly before painting.
Prepositions
The phrase 'mit einer Sprühdose' (with a spray can) is often used to describe how something is sprayed; the direction of spraying is usually indicated with 'auf' (onto) or 'an' (onto/against). This describes both the tool and the surface being sprayed.
EXAMPLE
Er sprühte mit einer Sprühdose Farbe auf die Holzplatte.
He sprayed paint onto the wooden board with a spray can.
Compare with
Sprühdose vs Spray
spray
Spray and Sprühdose can both refer to the container holding the spraying agent. Spray can also stand metonymically for the entire product, while Sprühdose explicitly refers to the pressurized container. When the shape of the container matters, Sprühdose is more precise; when simply handing it to someone, Spray is also common.
Sprühdose
Kannst du mir bitte die Sprühdose vom Regal reichen?
Could you please pass me the spray can from the shelf?
Spray
Kannst du mir bitte das Spray vom Regal reichen?
Could you please pass me the spray from the shelf?
In real life
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