Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Feldfrucht | feminine | |
| Erntegut | neuter | |
| Getreide | /ɡəˈtʁaɪ̯də/ | neuter |
| Gemüse | /ɡəˈmyːzə/ | neuter |
| (landwirtschaftliche) Kultur | feminine |
The German language uses different terms for 'crop' depending on whether you are speaking generally, commercially or technically. While Feldfrucht is a general term for any plant grown for economic purposes, you should use more specific words if you are referring to certain types of plants. For example, use Getreide for cereal or grain crops and Gemüse when the specific crop being discussed is vegetables. In technical or botanical contexts, the phrase (landwirtschaftliche) Kultur refers to a specific type of cultivated crop.
What does it mean word for word?
The word Feldfrucht is a compound of Feld (field) and Frucht (fruit).
Which one should you use?
Feldfrucht is a broad, general term for any crop. In contrast, Getreide is used specifically for grain or cereal crops and Gemüse is used specifically for vegetable crops. For commercial or logistical purposes, where you are referring to the actual physical yield or the goods produced by a harvest, Erntegut is the preferred term.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Feldfrucht is a feminine noun. Erntegut, Getreide and Gemüse are all neuter nouns. (landwirtschaftliche) Kultur is a feminine noun.
Did you know?
- The German word for vegetables, Gemüse, is a distant linguistic relative of the English word 'mush'. Both words trace back to an ancient Indo-European root describing something wet, fatty, or dripping.
- In German, the word for a specific type of cultivated crop, Kultur, is the same word used for 'culture' in a sociological or artistic sense.
- While Feldfrucht is the general term for 'crop', the word Frucht alone can mean 'fruit' in a botanical sense or 'result' in a figurative sense.
Examples in context
- Der Sturm verursachte große Schäden am Getreide.The storm caused much damage to the crop.This sentence shows how to describe damage caused to the Getreide.Tatoeba #2664203 by Zaghawa, translation #1079115 by keira_n
- Roggen wurde das Getreide des armen Mannes genannt.Rye was called the poor man's crop.This sentence demonstrates using Getreide to identify a specific crop belonging to someone.Tatoeba #13443014 by mhr, translation #13443005 by Tom9358
- Eine größere Ernte sollte dazu beitragen, das erwartete Absinken der Getreidepreise auszugleichen.A bigger harvest should help offset the expected drop in crop prices.This sentence illustrates the use of Getreide when discussing the prices of crops.Tatoeba #11755540 by Yorwba, translation #8673625 by CK
- Die Ernte im letzten Jahr war sehr reichhaltig.The crop last year was very abundant.
- Welche Pflanzenarten werden hier angebaut?What types of crops are cultivated here?
- Der Ertrag von Mais ist in dieser Region sehr hoch.The maize yield is very high in this region.
- Wir müssen die Ernte dieses Jahr rechtzeitig einbringen.We need to harvest the crop on time this year.
- Die Bauern pflanzen und ernten hier hauptsächlich Weizen.The farmers mainly plant and harvest wheat.
- Das Erntegut wird anschließend auf dem Markt verkauft.The harvested goods are sold at the market afterwards.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maximilian and Laura are walking through a farm field.
- MaximilianWelche Feldfrucht wächst hier gerade?Which crop is growing here right now?
- LauraDas ist eine neue Feldfrucht aus Spanien.This is a new crop from Spain.
- MaximilianSieht diese Feldfrucht gesund aus?Does this crop look healthy?
- LauraJa, die Ernte wird sehr gut.Yes, the harvest will be very good.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “crop” translations and entries Getreide, Gemüse, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Gemüse, Getreide, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
