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.
to have straw for brains
An idiom meaning that a person is stupid or not very intelligent.
Er versteht die einfachsten Zusammenhänge nicht, der hat wohl nur Stroh im Kopf.
He doesn't understand the simplest connections; he must have straw for brains.
to thresh empty straw
An idiom for talking at length and without result about something unimportant or already settled.
Die Diskussion führte zu nichts, wir haben nur stundenlang leeres Stroh gedroschen.
The discussion led nowhere; we just threshed empty straw for hours.
'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
Stroh and Heu are dried plant material that may be found in a stable. Heu consists of dried grass and herbs and is used mainly as animal feed, while Stroh consists of grain stalks and is often used as bedding. Heu is usually the right word for feed, and Stroh for bedding.
Der Bauer legte frisches Stroh in die Boxen der Pferde.
The farmer put fresh straw in the horses’ stalls.
Der Bauer gab den Pferden frisches Heu als Futter.
The farmer gave the horses fresh hay as feed.
