der  Kohl

A2

Estimated CEFR level.

/koːl/

🥬 What does "der Kohl" mean?

The German word der Kohl primarily has two meanings:

1. Cabbage/Kale (the vegetable or the dish): This is the main meaning. It refers to various types of cabbage plants (genus Brassica), like Weißkohl (white cabbage), Rotkohl (red cabbage), Wirsing (savoy cabbage), Grünkohl (kale), etc. It can refer to the plant in the field or the prepared vegetable on the plate.
2. Nonsense, rubbish (colloquial): In colloquial German, "Kohl" can also mean "nonsense" or "rubbish talk". For example: "Red keinen Kohl!" means "Don't talk nonsense!". This meaning is always masculine (der Kohl).

⚠️ Attention: Although there are many different types of cabbage (der Blumenkohl - cauliflower, der Rosenkohl - Brussels sprouts, der Grünkohl - kale), the generic word "Kohl" is always masculine (der).

📘 Grammar of "der Kohl"

"Kohl" is a masculine noun. It is mostly used in the singular, especially when referring to the substance or the prepared dish. The plural form "die Kohle" is very rare for the vegetable and usually refers to heads of cabbage or cabbage plants. The colloquial meaning "nonsense" has no plural.

Declension Singular

Declension Plural

(Rare for the vegetable meaning, non-existent for "nonsense")

📝 Example Sentences

• Im Winter essen wir gerne Kohl. (In winter, we like to eat cabbage/kale.)
• Der Bauer erntet den Kohl vom Feld. (The farmer harvests the cabbage from the field.)
• Was du da erzählst, ist doch alles Kohl! (What you're saying is just nonsense!)
• Hör auf, so einen Kohl zu reden! (Stop talking such rubbish!)

🗣️ How to use "Kohl"?

The usage of der Kohl strongly depends on the intended meaning:

• As a vegetable: Used in contexts related to cooking, nutrition, agriculture, and gardening. People talk about Kohlsorten (types of cabbage/kale), Kohlgerichten (cabbage dishes like Kohlrouladen - cabbage rolls, Sauerkraut), or the Anbau von Kohl (cultivation of cabbage).
• As nonsense: Used colloquially to express disapproval of what someone said or to label something as untrue or silly. It's informal and should not be used in formal contexts. Typical phrases include "Kohl reden" (to talk nonsense), "Das ist doch Kohl!" (That's rubbish!).

Potential confusion could arise with "die Kohle" (charcoal, coal, or slang for money), but the article and context make the difference clear.

🧠 Mnemonics for "der Kohl"

For the article: Imagine a strong man (der Mann) carrying a huge, heavy head of Kohl (cabbage). His muscles show that the Kohl is masculine.

For the meanings: Remember: What some people say is as hard to digest as raw Kohl (cabbage) – simply nonsense (Kohl)!

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

😂 A little joke

Fragt der Lehrer: "Was ist flüssiger als Wasser?"
Fritzchen meldet sich: "Hausaufgaben! Die sind nämlich überflüssig!"
Lehrer: "Fritzchen, red doch keinen Kohl!"

Translation:
The teacher asks: "What is more fluid than water?"
Little Fritz answers: "Homework! Because it's superfluous!" (Wordplay: überflüssig = superfluous/unnecessary)
Teacher: "Fritzchen, don't talk such nonsense (Kohl)!"

📜 Poem about Kohl

Der Kohlkopf, rund und schwer,
liegt im Garten, bitte sehr.
Mal grün, mal rot, mal kraus,
wird im Topf ein lecker Schmaus.
Mancher sagt auch "Kohl" zu Quatsch,
doch ich ess ihn, Klatsch für Klatsch!

Translation:
The cabbage head, round and heavy,
lies in the garden, if you please.
Sometimes green, sometimes red, sometimes curly,
becomes a tasty feast in the pot.
Some also call nonsense "Kohl",
but I eat it, bit by bit!

🧩 Little Riddle

Ich habe Blätter, doch bin kein Baum.
Ich bilde Köpfe, doch denke kaum.
Man isst mich roh, gekocht, als Kraut,
und manchmal sagt man's, klingt's nicht sehr schlau.

Was bin ich?

Translation:
I have leaves, but am not a tree.
I form heads, but hardly think.
People eat me raw, cooked, as kraut,
and sometimes it's said, when things sound not very smart.

What am I?

Solution: Der Kohl (Cabbage / Nonsense)

💡 Other Information

Word Compounds: "Kohl" is part of many vegetable names in German:

• Blumenkohl (cauliflower)
• Grünkohl (kale)
• Rotkohl (red cabbage)
• Weißkohl (white cabbage)
• Rosenkohl (Brussels sprouts)
• Wirsingkohl (savoy cabbage)
• Kohlrabi (kohlrabi - although "Rabi" here comes from Rübe/turnip)

Famous Name: The surname "Kohl" is relatively common in Germany. The most famous person with this name was Helmut Kohl, Chancellor of Germany from 1982 to 1998. His name, of course, has no connection to the meaning "nonsense".

Idiom: "Das macht den Kohl auch nicht fett." (Literally: That doesn't make the cabbage fat either.) means that something doesn't significantly improve a bad situation.