der
Stuhl
🪑 What exactly is a Stuhl?
The German word der Stuhl has two main meanings:
- A piece of furniture for sitting: This is the most common meaning. A Stuhl typically has a seat, a backrest, and four legs (sometimes just one or three). It's used by one person for sitting. Example: Setz dich bitte auf den Stuhl. (Please sit on the chair.)
- Medically/Colloquially for excrement/feces: In medicine and sometimes colloquially, "der Stuhl" or "der Stuhlgang" refers to human or animal excrement (stool, feces). Example: Der Arzt fragte nach der Farbe des Stuhls. (The doctor asked about the color of the stool.) ⚠️ Be careful: This meaning is context-dependent and shouldn't be confused!
🧐 Grammar of 'der Stuhl' in Detail
Der Stuhl is a masculine noun. Here are the declension tables:
Singular
| Case | Article | Noun | (English Meaning) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der | Stuhl | (the chair) |
| Genitive | des | Stuhl(e)s | (of the chair) |
| Dative | dem | Stuhl(e) | (to/for the chair) |
| Accusative | den | Stuhl | (the chair) |
Plural
| Case | Article | Noun | (English Meaning) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Stühle | (the chairs) |
| Genitive | der | Stühle | (of the chairs) |
| Dative | den | Stühlen | (to/for the chairs) |
| Accusative | die | Stühle | (the chairs) |
Example Sentences
- Nominative: Der Stuhl steht am Tisch. (The chair is standing at the table.)
- Genitive: Die Lehne des Stuhles ist kaputt. (The backrest of the chair is broken.)
- Dative: Ich sitze auf dem Stuhl. (I am sitting on the chair.)
- Accusative: Er kauft den Stuhl. (He is buying the chair.)
- Plural: Im Zimmer stehen viele Stühle. (There are many chairs in the room.)
- Medical: Der Patient hatte gestern keinen Stuhl. (The patient had no bowel movement/stool yesterday.)
💡 How to use 'Stuhl'?
The usage of der Stuhl heavily depends on the context:
- Furniture: In everyday life, 'Stuhl' almost always refers to the piece of furniture for sitting. People talk about Esszimmerstühle (dining room chairs), Bürostühle (office chairs), Klappstühle (folding chairs), etc. It differs from der Sessel (armchair; more comfortable, often upholstered, with armrests) and der Hocker (stool; without a backrest).
- Medical: The term 'Stuhl' for excrement is mainly used in a medical context (doctor's visits, lab tests) or in very formal/distant situations. In normal conversation, other words like Kot (feces), Kacke (poop - vulgar) or großes Geschäft (big business - childish/euphemistic) are more common. One also says 'Stuhlgang haben' (to have a bowel movement).
- Figurative Meanings: There are also expressions like "jemandem den Stuhl vor die Tür setzen" (lit. 'to put someone's chair in front of the door', meaning to fire/kick someone out) or "zwischen zwei Stühlen sitzen" (lit. 'to sit between two chairs', meaning to be undecided or caught in the middle). The "Heilige Stuhl" (Holy See) refers to the papacy and the central administration of the Catholic Church. A "Lehrstuhl" (lit. 'teaching chair') is a professorship at a university.
🧠 Mnemonics for 'der Stuhl'
Article Mnemonic
Imagine a typical, sturdy, masculine king sitting on a throne – a special chair. The king (der König) needs the chair (den Stuhl). This helps remember 'der Stuhl' (masculine).
Meaning Mnemonic
A Stuhl (chair) is stable ('STUHL-ble' -> stable) and offers support. For the second meaning: Remember that for a bowel movement (Stuhlgang), one often sits on a toilet, which is a type of 'chair' (Toilettenstuhl = toilet bowl/seat). 🚽
🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms
Meaning 1: Furniture
Synonyms:
- Sitzgelegenheit (seat, place to sit)
- Sitzmöbel (seating furniture)
- (Depending on type) Sessel (armchair), Hocker (stool), Schemel (simple stool)
Antonyms:
Similar Words (Caution!):
Meaning 2: Excrement
Synonyms:
- Kot (feces, excrement)
- Exkrement(e) (excrement(s))
- Stuhlgang (bowel movement)
- Fäzes (feces - medical term)
- (Colloquial/Vulgar) Kacke (poop), Scheiße (shit)
Antonyms:
- (In a medical sense) No direct antonym; perhaps 'Verstopfung' (constipation) as the absence of stool.
😄 A Little Joke
DE: Warum nehmen Skelette nie einen Stuhl mit zur Party?
Weil sie keinen Körper haben, um darauf zu sitzen!
EN: Why do skeletons never bring a chair to the party?
Because they have no body to sit on! (Pun on 'nobody')
DE (Medical): Treffen sich zwei Bakterien im Darm. Fragt die eine: "Was machst du morgen?" Antwortet die andere: "Mal sehen, was im Stuhl steht."
EN (Medical): Two bacteria meet in the intestine. One asks: "What are you doing tomorrow?" The other replies: "Let's see what's in the stool." (Play on words: 'was im Stuhl steht' can mean 'what's written in the stool' or 'what the stool situation is'.)
✒️ Poem about the Stuhl
Der Stuhl, ein treuer Kamerad,
(The chair, a loyal comrade,)
steht meistens still und sehr adrett.
(stands mostly still and very neat.)
Mit Lehne, Sitz und Bein im Lot,
(With backrest, seat, and leg aligned,)
erspart er uns so manche Not.
(it saves us from much plight.)
Er lädt uns ein, uns auszuruhn,
(It invites us to rest,)
nach harter Arbeit, vielen Taten nun.
(after hard work, many deeds now done.)
Ob Holz, ob Plastik, ob Metall,
(Whether wood, plastic, or metal frame,)
ein Stuhl ist nützlich – überall!
(a chair is useful – everywhere the same!)
❓ Little Riddle
DE:
Ich habe Beine, kann doch nicht gehen.
Ich habe einen Rücken, kann mich nicht umdrehen.
Man setzt sich auf mich, tagaus, tagein.
Was mag ich wohl sein?
EN:
I have legs, but cannot walk.
I have a back, but cannot turn around.
People sit on me, day in, day out.
What might I be?
Solution: Der Stuhl (The chair)
📌 Other Information about der Stuhl
Word Compounds (Wortzusammensetzungen):
- Bürostuhl: Office chair (often swiveling and height-adjustable).
- Esszimmerstuhl: Dining room chair.
- Klappstuhl: Folding chair.
- Lehrstuhl: Professorship (lit. 'teaching chair') at a university.
- Rollstuhl: Wheelchair.
- Stuhlgang: Bowel movement.
- Stuhlprobe: Stool sample (for medical tests).
Idioms (Redewendungen):
- Jemandem den Stuhl vor die Tür setzen: To fire someone or kick them out (lit. 'to put someone's chair in front of the door').
- Zwischen zwei Stühlen sitzen: To be caught between two stools, to be undecided (lit. 'to sit between two chairs').
Origin (Herkunft): The word "Stuhl" comes from the Old High German word "stuol", which also meant "seat", "throne", or "official seat".
Interesting Fact: The "Heilige Stuhl" (Holy See) is the term for the Pope and the Curia as the highest authority of the Roman Catholic Church.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Stuhl?
The word "Stuhl" is always masculine: der Stuhl (plural: die Stühle). It primarily refers to a piece of furniture for sitting, but can also mean stool/feces in a medical context.