der / die  Flur

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/fluːɐ̯/

🚪🏞️ What Does "Flur" Mean? Unpacking a Word with Two Genders

The German word Flur has two different articles and, consequently, different meanings. It's important to know them to avoid confusion.

🚨 Attention: The distinction is crucial as the meanings are very different. A conversation about "den Flur streichen" (to paint the hallway) versus "durch die Flur wandern" (to hike through the open land) would have entirely different subjects!

🧐 "Flur" Grammar in Detail: Declension and Examples

The grammar of the word "Flur" depends on its article. Here are the declension tables for der Flur and die Flur.

📜 Example Sentences for Flur

1. Der Flur ist frisch gestrichen. (The hallway is freshly painted.)
2. Die Schuhe stehen im Flur. (The shoes are in the hallway.)
3. Viele Hotels haben lange Flure. (Many hotels have long hallways.)
4. Wir wanderten durch die weite Flur. (We hiked through the wide open land.)
5. Die Schönheit der Flur im Frühling ist atemberaubend. (The beauty of the open land in spring is breathtaking.)
6. Die Bauern bestellen ihre Fluren. (The farmers cultivate their fields/lands.)

🚶‍♀️🌳 Using "Flur" in Context: When to Say What

The use of der Flur and die Flur is clearly context-dependent.

Usage of der Flur:

This term is common and refers to the interior of buildings:

• "Kannst du bitte die Jacke in den Flur hängen?" (Could you please hang the jacket in the hallway?)
• "Der Lichtschalter für den Flur ist neben der Tür." (The light switch for the hallway is next to the door.)
• Compared to Gang: A Flur is often wider or more representative than a narrow Gang (passage), but the terms are sometimes used interchangeably. Diele often refers to the entrance area of a house.

Usage of die Flur:

This term is more elevated, formal, or regional and describes outdoor areas:

• "Die weite Flur erstreckte sich bis zum Horizont." (The wide open land stretched to the horizon.)
• "In der Gemarkungsgrenze, auch als Flurgrenze bekannt..." (At the boundary of the registered land plot, also known as the 'Flur' boundary...)
• Compared to Feld (field) or Wiese (meadow): Die Flur is a more comprehensive term that can mean a larger landscape unit or a cadastral area, while Feld (cultivated field) or Wiese are more specific. You often find die Flur in literary or official texts (e.g., Flurbereinigung - land consolidation). In general usage, "die Flur" is less common than "der Flur".

🧠 Memory Aids for "Flur"

Here are a couple of mnemonics to help you remember the articles and meanings of "Flur":

For the Articles:

Der Flur is for der (the) dude walking inside the hallway.
Die Flur is like die (the) Queen's wide countryside (think feminine 'e').

For the Meanings:

You might flurry through der Flur (hallway).
In die Flur (open land), flowers flurish.

🔄 Similar and Different: Synonyms and Antonyms for Flur

⚠️ Potentially Misleading Words:

Be careful not to confuse der Flur with the English word "floor", although a hallway (Flur) naturally has a floor. Also, die Flur (open land) is different from die Flora (flora, plant life), though they are thematically related to nature.

😂 A Little Fun with Flur

Deutsch:

Fragt der Mieter den Hausmeister: "Sagen Sie mal, warum ist denn unser Flur immer so dunkel?"

Antwortet der Hausmeister: "Damit Sie nicht sehen, wie schmutzig er ist!"

English Translation:

The tenant asks the caretaker: "Tell me, why is our hallway always so dark?"

The caretaker replies: "So you don't see how dirty it is!"

✒️ A Poetic Look at Flur

Deutsch:

Der Flur im Haus, ein stiller Pfad,
verbindet Räume, früh und spat.
Man eilt hindurch, mit leisem Tritt,
nimmt Jacke, Hut und Schuhe mit.

Die Flur so weit, von Wind geküsst,
wo Halm an Halm sich wiegen lässt.
Ein grünes Band, vom Tau benetzt,
das Herz und Seele oft ergötzt.

English Translation:

The hall in house, a silent way,
connects the rooms, come what may.
One hurries through, with quiet tread,
takes coat and hat and shoes instead.

The open land, so wide, by wind caressed,
where blade by blade is gently pressed.
A verdant ribbon, dewed and bright,
a frequent joy for heart and sight.

❓ Who or What Am I? The Flur Riddle

Deutsch:

Mit Artikel 'der' bin ich im Haus zu finden,
dort helf' ich dir, die Zimmer zu verbinden.
Mit Artikel 'die' lieg' ich weit und breit,
bin Feld und Wiese, zur Ernte bereit.

Was bin ich?

English Translation:

With article 'der', I'm found inside the house,
there I help you, the rooms to espouse (connect).
With article 'die', I lie far and wide,
I'm field and meadow, for harvest I bide.

What am I?

Lösung / Answer: Der Flur / Die Flur (The hallway / The open land)

💡 Trivia and Etymology of Flur

Etymology:

The word "Flur" comes from Middle High German "vluor", which could mean both "floor" and "open field, cultivated field". This dual meaning has survived to this day in the two articles. It is related to the English word "floor".

Das Wort "Flur" stammt vom mittelhochdeutschen vluor ab, was sowohl "Fußboden" als auch "offenes Feld, Saatfeld" bedeuten konnte.

Word Compounds (Wortzusammensetzungen):

There are some interesting compound words with "Flur":

• Der Flur: Hausflur (house hallway), Treppenflur (stairwell landing/hallway), Flurlicht (hallway light), Flurgarderobe (hallway coat rack), Flurgespräch (corridor talk, unofficial conversation).
• Die Flur: Flurbereinigung (land consolidation), Flurkarte (cadastral map), Flurname (field name, toponym for a piece of land), Flurwächter (field guard, historical).
• Flurförderzeug: This is a neuter noun (das Flurförderzeug) meaning industrial truck for transporting goods in halls or on company premises (e.g., forklift). Here, "Flur" refers to the flat surface on which it moves. Interestingly, it's neuter, highlighting German grammar's complexities!