20 German Materials Vocabulary Explained
How do you say bricks, leather or concrete in German? This lesson teaches you the most important materials (Materialien) with their articles, and how to ask what something is made of: Aus welchem Material ist ...?
How to Ask and Answer
Question: Aus welchem Material ist der Tisch? Answer: Er ist aus Holz. The word aus means "made of". For plural things, say Aus welchem Material sind die Wäscheklammern? Sie sind aus Plastik.
The Materials With Articles
Materials are nouns, so learn them with their article:
| German | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| das Holz | wood | Der Tisch ist aus Holz. |
| das Plastik / der Kunststoff | plastic | Die Wäscheklammern sind aus Plastik. |
| das Metall | metal | Der Schlüssel ist aus Metall. |
| das Papier | paper | Die Zeitung ist aus Papier. |
| das Glas | glass | Das Wasserglas ist aus Glas. |
| das Gummi (also der Gummi) | rubber | Der Autoreifen ist aus Gummi. |
| der Kork | cork | |
| das Leder | leather | Der Gürtel ist aus Leder. |
| der Stoff | fabric | Der Schal ist aus Stoff. |
| die Seide | silk | Die Tücher sind aus Seide. |
| der Jeansstoff / die Jeans | denim | Die Hose ist aus Jeansstoff. |
| die Wolle | wool | Der Pullover ist aus Wolle. |
| der Stein | stone | Das Haus ist aus Stein. |
| der Backstein | brick | Der Turm ist aus Backstein. |
| der Ton | clay | Die Blumentöpfe sind aus Ton. |
| der Beton | concrete | Die Berliner Mauer ist aus Beton. |
| das Silber | silver | Die Taschenuhr ist aus Silber. |
| das Gold | gold | Die Ringe sind aus Gold. |
Kunststoff is made of Kunst (art, artificial) and Stoff (material), so it is literally artificial material. Gummibärchen are not made of rubber, but of sugar, water and gelatin.
Bonus: Why Is a Pencil Called Bleistift?
Blei is lead, so Bleistift is literally a lead pen. But a pencil is made of graphite (Grafit), not lead. When the word was created long ago, people thought graphite was a kind of lead. It was wrong, but the name stayed, so we still say Bleistift today.
Homework
Answer the question Aus welchem Material sind deine Kleider? Think of your pants, shirts, pullovers, hat and shoes.
What to Learn Next
Practise the plural in German Plural Rules and describe objects with German Colors and Top 40 German Adjectives. Review the genders in Der, Die, Das.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I ask what something is made of in German?
Ask Aus welchem Material ist ...? and answer Es ist aus Holz. The word aus means made of.
What are the most important materials in German?
Holz (wood), Plastik (plastic), Metall (metal), Papier (paper) and Glas (glass).
What is the article of Gummi in German?
Both das Gummi and der Gummi exist. Das Gummi is a little more common.
What is the German word for plastic?
Plastik or Kunststoff. Kunststoff literally means artificial material.
Why is a pencil called Bleistift in German?
Blei is lead. People used to think graphite was lead, and the name stayed even though a pencil is made of graphite.
Want to learn everyday vocabulary the easy way? Our A1 German online course teaches it step by step.
