würfeln
to roll dice
To throw one or more dice in order to get a random number, usually as part of a game.
EXAMPLE
Du bist dran, du musst jetzt würfeln.
It's your turn; you have to roll the dice now.
würfeln
to roll dice / to dice
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Meanings
würfeln
to dice
To cut food, such as vegetables or meat, into small cube-shaped pieces.
EXAMPLE
Für das Gulasch müssen die Zwiebeln fein gewürfelt werden.
For the goulash, the onions need to be finely diced.
Usage tips
Word family
The verb 'würfeln' (to roll dice / to dice) comes directly from the noun 'der Würfel' (the die/cube). A 'Würfel' is both the small cube you throw in games and the geometric shape created when cutting food. This explains the two meanings of the verb.
EXAMPLE
Gib mir mal den Würfel, ich bin dran mit Würfeln.
Give me the die; it's my turn to roll.
Context clue
You can easily recognize the meaning from the context. If it is about a 'Spiel' (game), 'Punkte' (points), or 'Zahlen' (numbers), it means throwing a die. If it is about 'Kochen' (cooking), 'Gemüse' (vegetables), 'Fleisch' (meat), or the 'Küche' (kitchen), it means cutting food.
EXAMPLE
Wer die höchste Zahl würfelt, darf anfangen.
Whoever rolls the highest number gets to start.
Sentence structure in games
When you roll a specific number, that number is in the accusative. You can also say 'um etwas würfeln' (to roll dice for something) in order to make a decision.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe schon wieder eine Sechs gewürfelt!
I rolled a six again!
Typical adverbs
When cutting food, people often specify how large the cubes should be. Typical adverbs for this are 'fein würfeln' (to dice finely) or 'grob würfeln' (to dice coarsely).
EXAMPLE
Für die Suppe sollst du das Gemüse nur grob würfeln.
For the soup, you should only dice the vegetables coarsely.
Compare with
würfeln vs werfen
to throw
Both words can refer to the movement of a die through the air. Werfen initially describes the physical hand movement, whereas würfeln refers to the established action in a game used to obtain a random number. Use würfeln for the game action and werfen when the throw itself is the focus.
würfeln
Beim Brettspiel würfelten die Kinder, um die Reihenfolge festzulegen.
During the board game, the children rolled the dice to determine the order.
werfen
Vor dem Spiel warf er den Würfel auf den Tisch.
Before the game, he threw the die onto the table.
In real life
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