01
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
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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
'werfen' and 'würfeln' both have to do with a movement of the hand. 'werfen' is the general word: you can throw a ball, a stone, or a key. 'würfeln' is much more specific. It means throwing one or more dice, usually in a game, so that a random number comes up. Learners may confuse the words because when you 'würfeln', you really are throwing something. But not every act of throwing is 'würfeln'.
würfeln
Beim Brettspiel würfeln wir reihum und ziehen dann unsere Figuren.
In the board game, we take turns rolling the dice and then move our pieces.
werfen
Im Park wirft das Kind den Ball zu seinem Vater.
In the park, the child throws the ball to his father.
In real life
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