chopstick / stick
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chopstick
One of two thin sticks made of wood, bamboo, or plastic that are used as eating utensils in East Asia. Usually used in the plural.
Ich finde es schwierig, Reis mit Stäbchen zu essen.
I find it difficult to eat rice with chopsticks.
small stick
A small, thin, elongated object. This can refer to many things, e.g. cotton swabs, fish sticks, or incense sticks.
Sie reinigte die Tastatur vorsichtig mit einem Wattestäbchen.
She carefully cleaned the keyboard with a cotton swab.
rod cell
A type of light-sensitive visual cell in the retina of the eye that is responsible for seeing in low light (twilight vision).
Die Stäbchen in unseren Augen ermöglichen es uns, nachts Umrisse zu erkennen.
The rod cells in our eyes allow us to recognize outlines at night.
'Stäbchen' (small stick) is the diminutive form of 'der Stab' (the stick/rod). The ending '-chen' makes the object small and cute and always changes the article to 'das'.
Der Arzt nahm mit einem langen Stäbchen eine Probe.
The doctor took a sample with a long little stick.
When 'Stäbchen' (chopsticks) means eating utensils, it is almost always used in the plural. The most common fixed phrase is 'mit Stäbchen essen' (to eat with chopsticks).
Kannst du Suppe mit Stäbchen essen?
Can you eat soup with chopsticks?
In its general meaning, 'Stäbchen' (small stick) is often the second part of a compound noun that describes the type of stick more precisely. Typical examples are 'Wattestäbchen' (cotton swab), 'Fischstäbchen' (fish stick), or 'Duftstäbchen' (incense stick).
Für die Party haben wir eine große Packung Fischstäbchen gekauft.
For the party, we bought a large pack of fish sticks.
The meaning as a visual cell in the eye is a technical term from biology and medicine. In everyday conversations, this meaning practically does not occur.
Im Biologieunterricht haben wir über die Funktion der Stäbchen und Zapfen im Auge gelernt.
In biology class, we learned about the function of rods and cones in the eye.
staff / rod
Stab and Stäbchen both refer to thin, elongated objects. However, a Stäbchen is small and often seems like a smaller version of a Stab. Stab is therefore suitable for a longer object, while Stäbchen is used for a small object.
Das Kind stützt die kleine Figur mit einem dünnen Stäbchen.
The child supports the small figurine with a thin stick.
Der Gärtner stützt die junge Pflanze mit einem langen Stab.
The gardener supports the young plant with a long rod.
