straw
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straw
The dried stalks of grain that remain after threshing (removing the grains). It is often used as bedding for animals or as feed.
Die Kühe lagen gemütlich auf dem frischen Stroh im Stall.
The cows lay comfortably on the fresh straw in the barn.
'Das Stroh' (straw) is the material used in agriculture. A drinking straw, which is also called 'straw' in English, is 'der Strohhalm' or 'der Trinkhalm' in German.
Möchtest du einen Strohhalm für dein Getränk?
Would you like a straw for your drink?
'Stroh' (straw) is an uncountable noun (a mass noun). It is often used without an article or with words like 'etwas' (some) or 'viel' (a lot of), but normally not in the plural.
Der Bauer braucht viel Stroh für den Winter.
The farmer needs a lot of straw for the winter.
The idiom 'Stroh im Kopf haben' (to have straw for brains) is a fixed unit. Only the verb 'haben' (to have) is conjugated to describe the person who is considered stupid.
Manchmal glaube ich, mein Kollege hat nur Stroh im Kopf.
Sometimes I think my colleague has straw for brains.
The expression 'leeres Stroh dreschen' (to thresh empty straw) has its origin in agriculture. Threshing straw without grains produces no result—just like a pointless discussion.
Anstatt eine Lösung zu finden, haben die Politiker nur leeres Stroh gedroschen.
Instead of finding a solution, the politicians just threshed empty straw.
hay
'das Stroh' (straw) and 'das Heu' (hay) are both dried plants and are often found on farms or around animals. The difference is in the plant and how it is used. Stroh is the dry stalks of grain after the kernels have been removed. It is often used as bedding in a stable or barn. Heu is dried grass with herbs and is mainly used as feed for animals. Learners easily confuse the words because both are dry, yellowish, and typical of the countryside. Remember: animals often lie on Stroh and eat Heu.
Am Montag legt der Bauer frisches Stroh in den Pferdestall.
On Monday, the farmer puts fresh straw in the horse stable.
Die Kaninchen bekommen jeden Morgen Heu und frisches Wasser.
The rabbits get hay and fresh water every morning.