das  Gras

A2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ɡʁaːs/

🌱 What does "das Gras" mean?

The German word das Gras primarily has two meanings:

1. Grass (the plant): The most common meaning refers to the green plants with long, narrow leaves typically covering lawns (der Rasen), meadows (die Wiese), and pastures (die Weide). It's a collective term for many different grass species (e.g., Weidelgras - ryegrass, Schwingel - fescue). Example: Die Kühe weiden auf der Wiese im hohen Gras. (The cows graze in the tall grass on the meadow.)
2. Marijuana (colloquial): In informal language, "Gras" is often used as a slang term for marijuana, a psychoactive drug derived from the hemp plant (die Hanfpflanze). ⚠️ This usage is context-dependent and colloquial. Example: Die Polizei fand bei der Razzia eine Tüte Gras. (The police found a bag of weed/grass during the raid.)

There is only one article for "Gras", which is das, regardless of the meaning.

Grammar Corner: "das Gras"

Das Gras is a neuter noun. It is mostly used in the singular, as it often functions as an uncountable collective noun for blades of grass (der Grashalm). The plural form "die Gräser" refers to different types or species of grass.

Declension Singular (Das Gras - the grass)

*The dative ending "-e" (Grase) is archaic but might appear in elevated or poetic language.

Declension Plural (Die Gräser - the grasses)

💡 Example Sentences

• Das Gras wächst schnell im Frühling. (The grass grows quickly in spring. - Nominative Singular)
• Der Duft des frisch gemähten Grases liegt in der Luft. (The scent of freshly mown grass is in the air. - Genitive Singular)
• Die Kinder tollen barfuß im Gras herum. (The children romp around barefoot in the grass. - Dative Singular)
• Mähen Sie bitte das Gras nicht zu kurz. (Please don't mow the grass too short. - Accusative Singular)
• Auf der Almwiese blühen bunte Blumen zwischen den verschiedenen Gräsern. (On the mountain meadow, colorful flowers bloom among the different grasses. - Dative Plural)
• Die Bestimmung der einzelnen Gräser ist oft schwierig. (Identifying the individual grasses is often difficult. - Genitive Plural)

How to use "das Gras"?

In the context of botany/nature:

• As a general term for the plant cover of meadows, lawns, etc. ("Das Gras ist schon ganz gelb." - The grass is already completely yellow.)
• In the plural "die Gräser" for specific types or varieties ("Süßgräser" - sweet grasses, "Ziergräser" - ornamental grasses).
• In fixed expressions: "ins Gras beißen" (literally 'to bite into the grass', meaning 'to die' / 'to bite the dust'), "darüber ist Gras gewachsen" (literally 'grass has grown over it', meaning 'it's forgotten' / 'water under the bridge'), "das Gras wachsen hören" (literally 'to hear the grass grow', meaning 'to be overly perceptive or suspicious', 'to think one knows it all').

In the colloquial context (marijuana):

• Used informally as a synonym for cannabis products. ("Er wurde mit Gras erwischt." - He was caught with weed/grass.)
• This context usually becomes clear from the conversation or situation. 🚨 Be aware: This meaning is not always appropriate and can be misunderstood.

Distinction from similar words:

• Der Rasen: Refers to a manicured, usually mown grassy area, e.g., in a garden or on a sports field. "Gras" is the more general term for the plants themselves.
• Die Wiese: A more naturally grown area with grass and often wildflowers, usually larger and less manicured than a Rasen.
• Das Kraut: Can refer to plants in general, often herbs (Heilkräuter, Küchenkräuter). Plural is "Kräuter". Colloquially, "Kraut" can sometimes also mean marijuana, but "Gras" is more common for this.

Memory Aids for "das Gras"

For the article: Imagine a glass (which sounds a bit like Gras) container. A glass container is an object, often neutral in feeling, helping you remember the neuter article "das". Or think: "The grass is..." uses 's', like das.

For the meaning(s): Picture a vast green field of grass (meaning 1). Then, imagine someone secretly picking some, putting it in a glass jar, and saying, "This is good Gras!" (meaning 2). The visual links both meanings and the similar-sounding English word.

Similar and Opposite Words for "Gras"

⚠️ Words to watch out for

• Die Gräte: (fish bone) - Sounds vaguely similar but is unrelated.
• Grassieren: (verb: to spread rapidly, e.g., a disease) - Shares the root but has a different meaning.
• Der Griesgram: (grumpy person) - Purely phonetic similarity, no semantic connection.

😄 A Little Joke

Warum hat der Gärtner immer gute Laune?

Weil er jeden Tag das Gras wachsen hört!

--- English Translation ---

Why is the gardener always in a good mood?

Because he hears the grass grow every day!

(This plays on the German idiom "das Gras wachsen hören", which means 'to be overly perceptive or suspicious', but here it's reinterpreted positively.)

📜 A Little Poem about das Gras

Das Gras so grün, so frisch, so rein,
deckt Wiesen zu im Sonnenschein.
Ein Halm wiegt sich im leichten Wind,
wo Käfer krabbeln, schnell, geschwind.
Mal kurz, mal hoch, mal sanft, mal rau,
im Morgentau ein Silbergrau.
Doch Vorsicht, Freund, sag's ungeniert,
manch' „Gras“ wird heimlich konsumiert!

--- English Translation ---

The grass so green, so fresh, so pure,
covers meadows in sunshine's lure.
A blade sways in the gentle breeze,
where beetles crawl with nimble ease.
Sometimes short, sometimes tall, sometimes mild, sometimes rough,
in morning dew, a silver buff.
But beware, friend, let's be clear,
some "grass" is consumed in secret, I fear!

🧠 A Riddle

Ich bin grün und wachse tief und hoch,
bedecke Felder, Wiesen doch.
Manchmal werd' ich kurz gemäht,
manchmal steh' ich spät.
Ein Tier frisst mich mit großem Maul,
manch Mensch raucht mich und wird ganz faul.

Was bin ich?

Lösung: das Gras

--- English Translation ---

I am green and grow low and high,
covering fields and meadows nigh.
Sometimes I'm mown short and neat,
sometimes I stand late, a grassy sheet.
An animal eats me with a big mouth's might,
some people smoke me and feel lazy, not bright.

What am I?

Solution: das Gras (grass)

More Information about "Gras"

Word Compounds (Examples):

• Der Grashalm: A single blade/stalk of grass.
• Die Grasnarbe: The turf or sod (the layer of grass roots and soil).
• Grasgrün: Grass-green (a typical shade of green).
• Der Grashüpfer: Grasshopper (an insect often found in grass).
• Das Ziergras: Ornamental grass (types of grass used for garden decoration).

Etymology:

The word "Gras" comes from the Old High German word "gras" and is related to words in many Germanic languages (compare English "grass", Dutch "gras"). The roots point to an Indo-European origin connected with "to grow" or "to be green".