01
das Stuff
stuff
A colloquial term borrowed from English for things, junk, or various unspecified items.
example
Räum bitte dein ganzes Stuff vom Tisch, wir wollen essen.
Please clear all your stuff off the table; we want to eat.
das Stuff
stuff
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Register and style
The word 'Stuff' (stuff) is a very colloquial expression borrowed from English. It is used mainly in youth language and informal conversations and should be avoided in formal or written contexts.
EXAMPLE
Was ist das für Stuff, der auf deinem Schreibtisch liegt?
What is that stuff lying on your desk?
Use as a noun
'Stuff' (stuff) is treated in German like an uncountable noun (mass noun). It therefore almost always appears in the singular and has no plural.
EXAMPLE
Ich muss mein ganzes Stuff noch in den Koffer packen.
I still have to pack all my stuff into the suitcase.
Context clue
The meaning 'Drogen' (drugs) is usually only recognizable from a clear context, for example when it is about crime, the police, or addiction. Without this special context, 'Stuff' (stuff) simply means 'Zeug' (stuff) or 'Kram' (junk).
EXAMPLE
Bei der Razzia wurde eine Menge verbotenes Stuff gefunden.
During the raid, a lot of banned drugs were found.
Compare with
Stuff vs Zeug
stuff
'das Zeug' and 'das Stuff' can both mean unspecified things or junk. 'das Zeug' is very common in German and fits many everyday situations, often with a slightly negative tone. 'das Stuff' is an English loanword and sounds more like youth or internet language; not everyone uses it naturally. Also, in slang, 'Stuff' can mean drugs, so it can be misleading in some situations. Learners may confuse the words because both can mean 'Kram' (stuff / junk). In normal German, 'Zeug' is usually safer and more natural.
Stuff
Für das Video hat sie ihren ganzen kreativen Stuff auf den Tisch gelegt.
For the video, she put all her creative stuff on the table.
Zeug
Ich bringe morgen das Zeug aus dem Keller zum Flohmarkt.
Tomorrow I'll take the stuff from the basement to the flea market.
In real life
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