der
Klotz
🪵 What Exactly is a Klotz?
The word der Klotz (plural: die Klötze) refers to several things in German:
- A large, often unworked piece of material: Mostly refers to wood (ein Holzklotz - a log or block of wood), but it can also be a block of stone or concrete. It's typically coarse, heavy, and unwieldy. Example:
Er spaltete den Klotz mit der Axt.
(He split the log with the axe.) - A clumsy, awkward person (colloquial, often derogatory): Someone who moves or behaves clumsily or awkwardly. Synonymous with Tollpatsch or Tölpel. Example:
Pass auf, du Klotz, du hättest fast die Vase umgeworfen!
(Watch out, you clumsy oaf, you almost knocked over the vase!) - A large sum of money (colloquial): A considerable amount of money. Example:
Das neue Auto hat einen ganzen Klotz Geld gekostet.
(The new car cost a whole chunk/load of money.)
🚨 The meaning usually becomes clear from the context. The primary meaning is the piece of material.
Article rules for der, die, and das
-tz → almost always masculine.
🧐 Grammar of 'der Klotz'
Der Klotz is a masculine noun. It follows the strong declension pattern.
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der | Klotz |
| Genitive | des | Klotzes |
| Dative | dem | Klotz(e) |
| Accusative | den | Klotz |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Klötze |
| Genitive | der | Klötze |
| Dative | den | Klötzen |
| Accusative | die | Klötze |
Example Sentences for Clarity
- (Material) Der schwere Klotz lag mitten im Weg. (The heavy block/log lay in the middle of the path.)
- (Material) Die Kinder bauten eine Hütte aus großen Klötzen. (The children built a hut out of large blocks.)
- (Person) Sei nicht so ein Klotz und hilf mir lieber! (Don't be such a clumsy oaf and help me instead!)
- (Money) Für die Renovierung brauchen wir einen ordentlichen Klotz an Ersparnissen. (For the renovation, we need a decent chunk of savings.)
💬 How to Use 'Klotz'?
- Literal meaning (material): Often used in the context of woodworking (Hackklotz - chopping block), construction (Betonklotz - concrete block), or simply to describe a large, shapeless piece. It implies heaviness and crudeness.
- Figurative meaning (person): More colloquial and usually negative or teasing. Describes a lack of fine motor skills or social grace. Use with caution, as it can be offensive.
- Figurative meaning (money): Also colloquial. Emphasizes the large size of the sum, often related to expenses or investments.
Compared to Block, a Klotz is often more irregular or primal. A Scheit is specifically a split piece of wood for heating. As a description for a person, Klotz is more negative than, for example, ungeschickt (clumsy).
🧠 Mnemonics to Remember
Article Aid: Think of a strong man (masculine = der) who clouts (sounds like Klotz) a huge log (Klotz). Der strong man hits den Klotz.
Meaning Aid: A Klotz sounds *clunky*, like a heavy *block* or a *clumsy* person who might *clot* up the works. It can also represent a large *clot* (or chunk) of money.
↔️ Opposites and Similar Words: Der Klotz
Synonyms (Similar Meaning):
- For piece of material: Block, Brocken (chunk), (Holz-)Scheit (log segment), Prügel (cudgel, rarer)
- For person: Tollpatsch (clumsy oaf), Tölpel (dolt), Trampel (klutz), Grobmotoriker (person with poor motor skills, neutral), Bauerntrampel (country bumpkin, derogatory)
- For money: Batzen (wad/chunk), Stange Geld (a pile of money), Haufen Geld (heap of money), beträchtliche Summe (considerable sum)
Antonyms (Opposites):
- For piece of material: Span (shaving), Splitter (splinter), Scheibe (slice), Brettchen (small board)
- For person: Feingeist (refined person), geschickte Person (skillful person), Tänzer/in (dancer), Filigrantechniker (someone delicate/precise)
- For money: Kleckerbetrag (piddling amount), Pappenstiel (peanuts, trifle), Peanuts (coll.)
⚠️ Caution: Kloß (like in Thüringer Klöße - Thuringian dumplings) sounds similar but means something completely different (a dumpling).
😂 A Little Joke
Fragt der Zimmermannslehrling den Meister: "Meister, soll ich den Nagel reinhauen oder den Klotz?"
Meister: "Erst den Nagel, du Klotz!"
(The carpenter apprentice asks the master: "Master, should I hammer in the nail or the block?"
Master: "The nail first, you blockhead!")
📜 A Klotz Poem
Ein Klotz, so schwer, aus Holz gemacht,
liegt im Wald bei Tag und Nacht.
Manch einer spaltet ihn entzwei,
fürs Feuer, warm und sorgenfrei.
Doch nennt man dich mal einen Klotz,
sei nicht gleich sauer oder protz'.
Vielleicht stolperst du geschwind –
ein kleiner Patzer, jedes Kind!
A Klotz, so heavy, made of wood,
Lies in the forest, understood.
Some may split it with a blow,
For fire's warmth, a cozy glow.
But if they call you 'Klotz' one day,
Don't get upset or turn away.
Perhaps you stumble, trip, and fall –
A little blunder, happens to all!
❓ Riddle Time
Ich bin schwer und lieg' oft rum,
mal aus Holz, mal stumm.
Manchmal bin ich einer, der leicht fällt,
oder eine Summe Geld in dieser Welt.
Was bin ich?
(... Ein Klotz)
I am heavy and often lie around,
Sometimes made of wood, sometimes making no sound.
Sometimes I'm someone prone to fall,
Or a sum of money, standing tall.
What am I?
(... A Klotz / block / clumsy person / chunk of money)
🧩 More About the Word
Compound Words (Komposita):
- Hackklotz/Hauklotz: A sturdy wooden block for chopping wood.
- Bremsklotz: A brake block or pad; also figuratively for something hindering progress ('a drag').
- Fußklotz: A heavy block formerly chained to a prisoner's leg (archaic).
- Klotzbeute: A traditional beehive made from a hollowed-out log (Klotz).
Etymology: The word comes from Middle High German "kloz", meaning "ball, lump, block".
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Klotz?
The noun Klotz is masculine. The correct article is always der: der Klotz (the block/person/sum), des Klotzes (of the block...), die Klötze (the blocks...).