der  Spieß

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ʃpiːs/

🎯 What exactly is a Spieß?

The German word der Spieß is a masculine noun with several meanings:

• 🍢 Kitchen Utensil/Dish: A long, pointed rod (often metal or wood) used to hold pieces of meat, vegetables, or fruit for grilling or roasting. The dish prepared on it is also often called a "Spieß" (e.g., Schaschlik-Spieß - shashlik skewer, Obstspieß - fruit skewer).
• ⚔️ Weapon: A historical pole weapon with a long point, similar to a lance or pike, used by foot soldiers.
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Person (colloquial, often derogatory): A term for a Spießbürger or Spießer – a narrow-minded, petty-bourgeois person who adheres excessively to conventions and shows little tolerance for anything new or different (a 'square' or 'philistine').
• 🎖️ Military Rank (colloquial): Short form for the Kompaniefeldwebel (Company Sergeant Major, First Sergeant equivalent) in the German Bundeswehr, sometimes called the "mother of the company".

🚨 The intended meaning usually becomes clear from the context.

🧐 Grammar of "der Spieß" in Detail

The word der Spieß is a masculine noun. Here is its declension:

Singular

Note: In the Dative Singular, both "Spieß" and "Spieße" are possible, with "Spieße" sounding slightly more formal or archaic.

Plural

💡 Example Sentences

1. (Kitchen utensil) Legst du bitte die Gemüsespieße auf den Grill?
   (Will you please put the vegetable skewers on the grill?)
2. (Weapon) Die Landsknechte waren mit langen Spießen bewaffnet.
   (The Landsknechts were armed with long pikes.)
3. (Person) Sein Nachbar ist ein echter Spieß, der sich über alles aufregt.
   (His neighbor is a real square who gets upset about everything.)
4. (Military) Der Spieß kümmert sich um die Organisation in der Kompanie.
   (The First Sergeant takes care of the organization in the company.)

🗣️ How to use "der Spieß"?

The usage of der Spieß depends heavily on the intended meaning:

• In the context of Food & Drink: Here, "der Spieß" is very common, both for the tool and the dish. One talks about Grillspieße (barbecue skewers), Fleischspieße (meat skewers), Gemüsespieße (vegetable skewers), etc. Example: "Zum Grillfest machen wir verschiedene Spieße." (For the barbecue party, we're making various skewers.)
• In historical/military contexts: The meaning as a weapon (pike) is mostly relevant today in historical texts or museums. Example: "Die Infanterieformation hielt den Angriffen mit ihren Spießen stand." (The infantry formation withstood the attacks with their pikes.) The military rank (short form) is common in Bundeswehr jargon.
• As a description for a person: This usage is colloquial and usually has negative connotations. It describes someone as narrow-minded and conventional ('spießig'). The related words der Spießer or der Spießbürger are more common and less ambiguous for this meaning. Example: "Sei doch kein Spieß und komm mit zur Party!" (Don't be such a square and come to the party!)

A well-known idiom is "den Spieß umdrehen" (to turn the tables), meaning to reverse a situation so that the attacker is now on the defensive or experiences the disadvantages they intended for others.

🧠 Mnemonics to Remember

Remembering the Article: Think of DER Man holding the barbecue Spieß, DER Soldier with the weapon Spieß, or DER neighbor who is a Spießbürger (male square). The masculine image helps link to "der".

Remembering the Meanings: A Spieß is always something long and pointed: It spears meat (skewer), it spears enemies (weapon), or someone is metaphorically 'pointed' and narrow-minded (person). The German word for pointed is 'spitz', which sounds similar.

🔄 Similar and Opposite Terms

⚠️ Similar, but different words:

• Der Spion: (the spy) A person who secretly collects information (not to be confused with Spieß/Spießer).
• Spießen (verb): (to spear, to skewer) To put something onto a skewer.
• Spitz (adjective): (pointed, sharp) Describing something with a point or sharp shape.

😄 A Little Joke

Fragt der eine Grillmeister den anderen: "Warum drehst du den Spieß denn so hektisch?"
Sagt der andere: "Na, ich will nicht, dass das Fleisch zu spießig wird!" 😉

Translation:
One grill master asks the other: "Why are you turning the skewer (Spieß) so frantically?"
The other says: "Well, I don't want the meat to become too square/stuffy (spießig)!" 😉 (Pun based on 'spießig' meaning stuffy/square and relating to 'Spieß')

📜 A Little Poem

Der Spieß, so scharf, so lang, so grad,
hält Fleisch bereit zum Grillen zart.
Mal Waffe er in alter Zeit,
mal sticht er heut' die Engstirnigkeit.
Ein Wort, das piekst, mal so, mal so,
am Grill, im Feld, und anderswo.

Translation:
The skewer/pike, so sharp, so long, so straight,
holds meat ready, tender for the grilling plate.
Sometimes a weapon in olden days,
sometimes it pricks narrow-minded ways.
A word that pokes, now this, now that,
at the grill, on the field, and where it's at.

🤔 Riddle Time

Ich trage Fleisch, doch ess' es nicht.
Ich focht im Krieg, doch ohne Pflicht.
Man schimpft mich, bin ich allzu brav.
Mal bin ich Werkzeug, mal ein Graf
(im Sinne von Kompaniefeldwebel).

Was bin ich?

Translation:
I carry meat, but do not eat.
I fought in war, but had no feat (of obligation).
I'm called names if I'm too neat (conventional).
Sometimes a tool, sometimes a count's seat (referring to the Sergeant Major role).

What am I?

Solution: Der Spieß (the skewer/pike/square)

✨ More Trivia

Etymology (Word Origin): The word "Spieß" comes from the Old High German word "spioz", which meant something like "pointed wood" or "sting". The relationship to the adjective "spitz" (pointed) is clear.

Idiom: "Den Spieß umdrehen" (literally: to turn the pike/skewer around) is a very common German idiom meaning "to turn the tables". It describes reversing a situation, often to one's own advantage after having been disadvantaged.

Der Spießrutenlauf: (Running the gauntlet) This was a form of military punishment where the condemned had to run through a lane of soldiers who struck him with rods (originally perhaps pikes/Spießen). Today, the term is used metaphorically for a situation where someone faces intense public criticism or hostility.