cement
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cement
A powdery binding material that is mixed with water to make concrete or mortar and becomes hard as it dries. It is a basic building material.
Für das Fundament des Hauses werden mehrere Säcke Zement benötigt.
Several bags of cement are needed for the foundation of the house.
'Zement' (cement) is a material noun and is usually used as an uncountable noun in the singular without an article. If you want to specify an amount, you use quantity expressions like 'ein Sack Zement' (a bag of cement) or 'eine Tonne Zement' (a ton of cement).
Wir brauchen mehr Zement, um die Mauer fertigzustellen.
We need more cement to finish the wall.
You can recognize the literal meaning from words like 'Baustelle' (construction site), 'Beton' (concrete), or 'Fundament' (foundation). You can recognize the figurative meaning from abstract nouns like 'Gesellschaft' (society), 'Familie' (family), or 'Beziehung' (relationship) and verbs like 'zusammenhalten' (to hold together).
Der Maurer mischt Sand und Zement zu Mörtel.
The bricklayer mixes sand and cement into mortar.
In the context of building, cement is often used with verbs like 'anmischen' (to mix), 'verwenden' (to use), 'brauchen' (to need), or, in connection with concrete, 'gießen' (to pour).
Man muss den Zement mit Wasser anmischen, bevor man ihn benutzen kann.
You have to mix the cement with water before you can use it.
The figurative meaning is often used in the structure 'X ist der Zement, der Y zusammenhält' (X is the cement that holds Y together) or 'X ist der Zement für Y' (X is the cement for Y).
Die gemeinsame Sprache ist der Zement, der die Nation zusammenhält.
The shared language is the cement that holds the nation together.
concrete
'der Beton' and 'der Zement' both belong to construction and are therefore often confused. The most important difference is: 'Zement' is a powder and an ingredient in concrete. When you mix cement with water, sand, and gravel, it can become concrete. 'Beton' is therefore the finished hard material used for foundations, walls, or floors. You say 'Zement' when you are talking about the binding agent or the powder. 'Beton' is more natural when talking about the finished building component or the hard mass.
Für die Reparatur kauft Mehmet einen Sack Zement im Baumarkt.
For the repair, Mehmet buys a bag of cement at the hardware store.
Im Keller ist der Boden aus Beton, deshalb fühlt er sich sehr kalt an.
In the basement, the floor is made of concrete, so it feels very cold.