das Ei
/das aɪ̯/word by word
The English phrase "the egg" is das Ei in German.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural of das Ei is die Eier (the eggs).
Did you know?
- In German, Ei can be used as an exclamation of surprise or annoyance, similar to saying 'Oh!' in English.
- The phrase ein Ei legen (to lay an egg) is also used colloquially in German to describe a failure or a mistake in a performance.
- In German culture, the phrase das Ei is central to the tradition of Ostereier, where eggs are dyed and hidden for children during Easter.
Examples in context
- Das Ei ist hart.The egg is hard.Tatoeba #603813 by BraveSentry, translation #4993052 by wzhd
- Was kam zu erst – das Ei oder das Huhn?Which came first – the egg or the chicken?Tatoeba #11962731 by nexx, translation #8864358 by moxy
- Was war zuerst da: das Huhn oder das Ei?Which came first, the chicken or the egg?Tatoeba #554500 by samueldora, translation #623300 by darinmex
- Bitte bringen Sie mir das Ei.Please bring me the egg.
- Ich möchte ein weichgekochtes Ei.I would like a soft-boiled egg.
- Das Hühnerei ist frisch.The chicken egg is fresh.
- Gib mir bitte das Ei.Give me the egg, please.
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julian and Hannah are preparing breakfast in the kitchen.
- JulianWo ist das Ei?Where is the egg?
- HannahEs liegt im Kühlschrank.It is in the fridge.
- JulianIch koche das Ei jetzt.I am cooking the egg now.
- HannahDanke, Julian!Thanks, Julian!
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (das, Ei) and can differ in connected speech.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
