01
die Stickerei
embroidery
The activity or craft of artistically decorating fabric or other materials with thread.
example
Ihre Großmutter hat ihr die Kunst der Stickerei beigebracht.
Her grandmother taught her the art of embroidery.
die Stickerei
embroidery
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word family
The word 'Stickerei' (embroidery) is derived from the verb 'sticken' (to embroider). In German, the ending '-ei' can refer both to an activity (meaning 1), the result of the activity (meaning 2), and the place where the activity is carried out (meaning 3).
EXAMPLE
Sie stickt in ihrer Freizeit gerne.
She likes to embroider in her free time.
Context clues
You can tell which meaning is intended from the context. If it is about learning a skill, the activity is meant. If a decorated object is being described, the product is meant. If it is about an order or a workplace, the workshop is meant.
EXAMPLE
Sie lernt die Grundlagen der Stickerei.
She is learning the basics of embroidery.
Typical collocations
When a finished product is meant, 'Stickerei' (embroidery) is often combined with adjectives such as 'fein' (fine), 'bunt' (colorful), 'alt' (old), or 'handgemacht' (handmade). You can also describe the motif, for example 'eine Stickerei mit Vögeln' (an embroidery with birds).
EXAMPLE
Das Museum stellt einige sehr feine Stickereien aus dem 18. Jahrhundert aus.
The museum is exhibiting some very fine embroideries from the 18th century.
Use in a business context
When the workshop is meant, the word is often used with verbs and phrases such as 'etwas in Auftrag geben' (to commission something), 'etwas anfertigen lassen' (to have something made), or 'in einer Stickerei arbeiten' (to work in an embroidery shop).
EXAMPLE
Wir haben unsere neuen Firmenpolos in einer lokalen Stickerei anfertigen lassen.
We had our new company polo shirts made at a local embroidery shop.
Compare with
Stickerei vs Handarbeit
handwork / handicrafts
'Handarbeit' and 'Stickerei' can both belong to textile work. 'Handarbeit' is the broader term and can mean knitting, crocheting, sewing, or embroidering, for example. 'Stickerei' is more specific: it refers to decorating fabric with thread, or to the finished embroidered pattern. The words can be confused because embroidery can be a type of handicraft. If you are speaking generally about a hobby with fabric and thread, 'Handarbeit' fits. If it is about embroidered patterns or this specific technique, 'Stickerei' is more precise.
Stickerei
Die Stickerei auf der Bluse zeigt kleine blaue Blumen.
The embroidery on the blouse shows small blue flowers.
Handarbeit
Am Abend macht Lena gern Handarbeit und strickt an einem Schal.
In the evening, Lena likes doing handicrafts and knits a scarf.
In real life
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