Klee
/kleː/masculine
The English word 'clover' is Klee in German.
Klee refers to the plant in the genus Trifolium. It is a masculine noun, so it is used with the masculine article der.
Meaning: plant in genus Trifolium (noun)
Which one should you use?
While Klee refers to the plant species in general, the compound noun Kleeblatt is the specific term used when you are counting or describing the individual leaves, such as a 'four-leaf clover'.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to refer to a single leaf of the clover plant, you should use the compound noun Kleeblatt.
How do you pronounce it?
/kleː/
Did you know?
- If you were looking for a 'cloverleaf interchange' on a German highway, you would look for a Kleeblatt junction.
- The word Klee is used in the name of the famous Swiss-German artist Paul Klee, though the artist was not named after the plant.
- In traditional German folklore, finding a vierblättriges Kleeblatt is thought to grant the finder the ability to see fairies or spirits.
Examples in context
- Schau! Ein vierblättriger Klee!Look! A four-leaf clover!This sentence is useful for identifying a four-leaf clover using Klee.Tatoeba #12089273 by Augustus, translation #9723101 by ariarin
- Schau! Ein vierblättriges Kleeblatt!Look! A four-leafed clover!This sentence is useful for identifying a four-leafed clover using Klee.Tatoeba #3533932 by Trinkschokolade, translation #3533931 by adamtrousers
- Ein vierblättriges Kleeblatt bringt Glück.A four-leafed clover brings luck.This sentence shows how to describe a four-leafed clover using Klee.Tatoeba #8804625 by Melang, translation #12114764 by sundown
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sarah and Lukas are walking in a meadow.
- SarahHier wächst viel grüner Klee.Lots of green clover is growing here.
- LukasDas sieht sehr schön aus.That looks very beautiful.
- SarahIch mag diesen Klee.I like this clover.
- LukasIch auch, Sarah.Me too, Sarah.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “clover” translations and entries Klee, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
