Asbest
/asˈbɛst/masculine
The English word asbestos is translated into German as Asbest.
Asbest is a masculine noun referring to any of several fibrous mineral forms of magnesium silicate.
Meaning: any of several fibrous mineral forms of magnesium silicate (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to say 'of asbestos' (the genitive case), use the form Asbestes.
How do you pronounce it?
/asˈbɛst/
Did you know?
- While English uses 'asbestos' as a general term, German speakers distinguish between Asbest and Eternit, which was a famous brand of asbestos-cement sheets so common that the brand name became a synonym for the material.
- The term Asbest is linguistically related to the Greek word asbestos, meaning 'unquenchable' or 'inextinguishable'.
- In historical German architecture, Asbest was often marketed as Wunderstoff or 'wonder material' before its dangers were known, a term still used ironically in documentaries about the era.
Examples in context
- Dichtungen für bestimmte Anwendungen, wie zum Beispiel Hochdruckdampfsysteme, können Asbest enthalten.Gaskets for specific applications, such as high pressure steam systems, may contain asbestos.This sentence is useful for seeing how to express that certain gaskets may contain Asbest.Tatoeba #12452401 by Yorwba, translation #11129417 by CM
- Im Anwaltsbüro haben wir oft mit Fällen von Asbest zu tun.In the law office, we often deal with asbestos cases.
- Bei einer Untersuchung entdeckten sie Asbest in den Wänden.During an inspection, they found asbestos in the walls.
- Asbest ist in diesem alten Haus gefährlich.Asbestos is dangerous in this old house.
Example conversation
Laura and Maximilian are renovating an old building.
- LauraGlaubst du, dass hier Asbest verbaut wurde?Do you think asbestos was used here?
- MaximilianJa, das ist in diesem Baujahr sehr wahrscheinlich.Yes, that is very likely for this year of construction.
- LauraWir müssen also vorsichtig mit dem Asbest sein.So we have to be careful with the asbestos.
- MaximilianGenau, wir brauchen unbedingt Schutzmasken.Exactly, we absolutely need protective masks.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “asbestos” translations and entries Asbest, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
