Hafer
/ˈhaːfɐ/
The English word "oat" is Hafer in German.
Hafer refers to the widely cultivated cereal grass. You can use it to form compound words for various oat-based products, such as Hafermilch for oat milk and Haferbrei for oatmeal or porridge.
Meaning: widely cultivated cereal grass (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈhaːfɐ/
Did you know?
- German uses Hafer to create a vast array of specific product names, such as Haferkissen for oat pillows used in heat therapy.
- German compound words like Haferbrei use the word Brei, which can also mean 'mush' or 'sludge' in non-culinary contexts.
- The word Hafer is a cognate of the English word 'oat', though they evolved through different phonetic shifts in the Germanic language family.
Examples in context
- Tom biss in den Haferkeks, dass ihm die Haferflocken auf den Mantel fielen.Tom bit into the flapjack, and oat flakes fell on to his coat.This sentence shows how to use Hafer in the context of oat flakes.Tatoeba #11539278 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #10542171 by sundown
- Ich esse gerne Haferflocken zum Frühstück.I enjoy eating oat flakes for breakfast.
Example conversation
Maximilian and Laura are preparing breakfast in the kitchen.
- MaximilianSoll ich Hafer in den Brei geben?Should I put oats in the porridge?
- LauraJa, bitte nimm eine Tasse Hafer.Yes, please take one cup of oats.
- MaximilianHaben wir noch genug Hafer da?Do we still have enough oats here?
- LauraJa, die Packung ist fast voll.Yes, the package is almost full.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Hafer, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
