20 German Materials Vocabulary Explained

Once you can describe what something is made of, you can describe almost any object around you. In this lesson, we cover 20 of the most useful German materials, split into everyday materials and materials for buildings, nature, and fabrics.

10 Everyday Materials

Holz (wood), Metall (metal), Kunststoff/Plastik (plastic), Glas (glass), Papier (paper), Pappe/Karton (cardboard), Stoff (fabric), Leder (leather), Gummi (rubber), Keramik (ceramic). Example: Der Tisch ist aus Holz. (The table is made of wood.)

10 Building, Metal & Fabric Materials

Stein (stone), Beton (concrete), Ziegel (brick), Gold, Silber (silver), Eisen (iron), Stahl (steel), Wolle (wool), Baumwolle (cotton), Seide (silk). Example: Der Ring ist aus Gold. (The ring is made of gold.)

Talking About What Something Is Made Of

To say what something is made of, German uses aus + dative: Das Haus ist aus Stein. Since the noun after aus takes dative endings, it helps to know each material's gender first — see our guide to der, die, das if you need a refresher.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you say what something is made of in German?

With aus + dative, e.g. Der Tisch ist aus Holz (The table is made of wood).

What is “Kunststoff” in German?

Plastic or synthetic material — Plastik is also commonly used and understood the same way.

How do you say “cotton” and “silk” in German?

Baumwolle (cotton) and Seide (silk).

What case follows “aus” when describing materials?

Dative — aus is always followed by the dative case.

What are 3 common building materials in German?

Stein (stone), Beton (concrete), and Ziegel (brick).

Keep building your everyday German vocabulary with our A1 German course.