das  Rohr

A2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ʁoːɐ̯/

🤔 What Exactly is a Rohr?

Das Rohr (neuter gender) is a versatile German word. It generally refers to a long, hollow object. The main meanings are:

• Pipe/Tube (Leitungsrohr): A hollow cylinder, often made of metal or plastic, used to conduct liquids or gases (e.g., Wasserrohr - water pipe, Abgasrohr - exhaust pipe). plumbers work with these!
• Plant part (Reed - Schilfrohr): The hollow stem of certain plants, especially reeds (e.g., used for thatched roofs or wind instruments). 🌾
• Barrel of a firearm (Lauf): The tubular part of a gun through which the projectile is driven (e.g., Gewehrrohr - rifle barrel). 💥
• Colloquially: Sometimes used for a telescope (Fernrohr) or a stovepipe (Ofenrohr).

⚠️ Pay attention to the context to understand the correct meaning!

📐 Grammar of "das Rohr"

"Rohr" is a noun of neuter gender. The article is das.

Declension (Deklination)

Example Sentences (Beispielsätze)

1. Der Klempner repariert das Rohr unter der Spüle.
   (The plumber repairs the pipe under the sink.)
2. Im Sumpf wächst hohes Rohr.
   (Tall reeds grow in the swamp.)
3. Der Jäger putzte das Rohr seines Gewehrs.
   (The hunter cleaned the barrel of his rifle.)
4. Die alten Rohre im Keller müssen ersetzt werden.
   (The old pipes in the basement need to be replaced.)

🔧 How to Use "das Rohr"?

"Das Rohr" is used in many technical, natural, and everyday contexts.

• Technology & Crafts (Technik & Handwerk): Rohre verlegen (to lay pipes), ein Rohr schweißen (to weld a pipe), das Abflussrohr reinigen (to clean the drain pipe). This usually refers to pipes for water, gas, sewage, etc.
• Nature (Natur): Schilfrohr am Teich (reeds by the pond), ein Dach mit Rohr decken (to thatch a roof with reeds). Refers to the plant.
• Weapons (Waffen): Der Lauf einer Pistole ist auch ein Rohr. (The barrel of a pistol is also a 'Rohr'). Specific to firearms.
• Music (Musik): Clarinets and oboes have a mouthpiece with a (double) reed ((Doppel-)Rohrblatt), often made from reed cane (Schilfrohr).
• Idioms (Redewendungen):
  • Ins Rohr gucken (literally: to look into the pipe): To be left out, to get nothing. ("Wir wollten Pizza, aber alles war ausverkauft. Da mussten wir wohl ins Rohr gucken." - "We wanted pizza, but everything was sold out. So we were left with nothing.")
  • Sich etwas durchs Rohr ziehen (literally: to pull something through the pipe): To consume something (often drugs, colloquial). ⚠️ Very informal!

Comparison with Röhre: "Rohr" is often more massive, thicker, or industrial. A "Röhre" can be thinner (e.g., Glasröhre - glass tube in a lab, Leuchtstoffröhre - fluorescent tube) or used anatomically (Speiseröhre - esophagus).

🧠 Mnemonics for "das Rohr"

1. Article Mnemonic (das): Think of das hole in the middle of das Rohr. It's neutral, neither masculine ('der') nor feminine ('die'). Or remember that many technical items in German are neuter: das Auto (car), das Kabel (cable), das Rohr.

2. Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine water flowing through a Rohr (pipe), the wind whistling through reeds (Schilfrohr), and a bullet shooting through a gun barrel (Gewehrrohr). The word Rohr connects these hollow cylinders.

🔁 Synonyms & Antonyms of Rohr

Risk of Confusion

• Roh (adjective): Means raw, uncooked (e.g., rohes Gemüse - raw vegetables). Sounds similar but is unrelated to das Rohr.
• Die Rohe: Rarely used feminine form of 'Roh', e.g., in 'die rohe Gewalt' (brute force).

😂 A Little Rohr Joke

Fragt der Klempnerlehrling den Meister: "Meister, ist dieses Rohr hier dicht?"
Meister: "Ja, absolut dicht. Aber warum fragst du?"
Lehrling: "Na, weil da gerade Ihre Katze durchgelaufen ist!"

Translation:
The plumber apprentice asks the master: "Master, is this pipe sealed/tight?"
Master: "Yes, absolutely tight. But why do you ask?"
Apprentice: "Well, because your cat just ran through it!"

(Note: "dicht" means both "sealed/tight" and "drunk" in German, but the joke plays on the "sealed" meaning contrasted with something passing through.)

📜 Rohr Poem

Das Rohr, so schlicht, so hohl, so rund,
dient manchem Zweck zu jeder Stund'.
Mal leitet's Wasser, klar und rein,
mal wächst's am Ufer, zart und fein.
Im Ofen glüht's, im Schießgewehr,
das Rohr, es kann so viel, und mehr.

Translation:
The pipe/reed (Rohr), so simple, hollow, round,
serves many purposes all around.
Sometimes conducts water, clear and pure,
sometimes grows shoreside, tender, demure.
In the oven it glows, in the rifle's bore,
das Rohr, it can do so much, and more.

❓ Rohr Riddle

Ich bin hohl, doch oft sehr stark,
mal aus Metall, mal aus dem Park (als Pflanze). Ich leite Wasser, Rauch und Schall,
und manchmal knallt's durch mich mit Knall.

Was bin ich?

Translation:
I am hollow, yet often very strong,
sometimes metal, sometimes from the park (as a plant) where I belong.
I conduct water, smoke, and sound,
and sometimes through me, bangs resound.

What am I?



(Solution: das Rohr - the pipe/tube/reed/barrel)

💡 More about "das Rohr"

Compound Words (Wortzusammensetzungen)

"Rohr" is part of many compound nouns that specify its meaning:

• Abflussrohr: Drain pipe.
• Wasserrohr: Water pipe.
• Gasrohr: Gas pipe.
• Ofenrohr: Stovepipe.
• Schilfrohr: Reed (plant).
• Stahlrohr: Steel pipe/tube.
• Fernrohr: Telescope (literally 'far-pipe').
• Rohrbruch: Burst pipe (often water pipe).
• Rohrzucker: Cane sugar (from Zuckerrohr - sugar cane).

Etymology (Etymologie)

The word "Rohr" comes from the Old High German "rōr", which originally meant reed (Schilfrohr). The meaning was later transferred to other hollow, cylindrical objects.