der  Stumpf

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ʃtʊmpf/

🌳 What exactly is a 'Stumpf'?

The noun der Stumpf (masculine) has several meanings:

• 🪵 The remnant of a tree: The lower part of a tree trunk that remains in the ground after felling or breaking. (Example: Im Wald stolperte ich über einen alten Baumstumpf. - In the forest, I stumbled over an old tree stump.)
• ✂️ A remaining part: The part that is left after something (e.g., a pencil, a candle, a limb) has been broken off, cut off, or worn down. (Example: Vom Bleistift war nur noch ein kleiner Stumpf übrig. - Only a small stub/stump was left of the pencil. Der Armstumpf schmerzte nach der Operation. - The arm stump hurt after the operation.)
• Figuratively: Dullness, insensitivity (rarely used as a noun in this form, usually derived from the adjective 'stumpf').

⚠️ Attention: The adjective 'stumpf' (blunt, dull) is more common and describes something without a point or edge, or emotional apathy.

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar Spotlight: Der Stumpf

Der Stumpf is a masculine noun.

Singular Declension

Plural Declension

📝 Example Sentences

1. Der Stumpf des alten Apfelbaums dient jetzt als kleiner Tisch im Garten.
   (The stump of the old apple tree now serves as a small table in the garden.)
2. Nach dem Anspitzen war vom Buntstift nur noch ein kurzer Stumpf übrig.
   (After sharpening, only a short stub was left of the colored pencil.)
3. Der Chirurg versorgte den Stumpf nach der Amputation sorgfältig.
   (The surgeon carefully treated the stump after the amputation.)
4. Die Axt hinterließ tiefe Kerben im Stumpf.
   (The axe left deep notches in the stump.)

💡 How 'der Stumpf' is Used

Der Stumpf is mainly used in concrete contexts:

• Nature: When talking about trees that are no longer complete (Baumstumpf - tree stump, Holzstumpf - wooden stump).
• Objects: For the remainder of objects that have become shorter (Bleistiftstumpf - pencil stub, Kerzenstumpf - candle stub, Zigarettenstummel / -stumpf - cigarette butt).
• Medicine/Body: As a term for the remaining end of an amputated limb (Armstumpf - arm stump, Beinstumpf - leg stump).

Although the adjective 'stumpf' can also describe emotional apathy, the noun 'der Stumpf' is rarely used directly in this figurative sense. One usually speaks of 'Abstumpfung' (apathy, desensitization) or 'Stumpfheit' (dullness, bluntness).

Risk of Confusion: Don't confuse it with the adjective 'stumpf' (e.g., ein stumpfes Messer - a dull knife), although there is an etymological connection.

🧠 Mnemonics for 'der Stumpf'

Here are a couple of memory aids:

Remembering the Article (der): Think of 'der' Baum (the tree, masculine) which leaves behind 'der' Stumpf. The remainder, 'der' Rest, is masculine.

Remembering the Meaning: Imagine you stump your toe on a tree Stumpf. Ouch! Or a pencil that is stumpf (dull/blunt) is just a Stumpf (stub).

🔄 Similar & Opposite: Der Stumpf

Similar but Different Words

• Stumpf (adjective): Means blunt, dull, not sharp, or emotionally unresponsive. (Ein stumpfes Messer - a dull knife, eine stumpfe Reaktion - a blunt/dull reaction)
• Stümper (der): A bungler, someone who works clumsily or incompetently. Unrelated to 'Stumpf'.

😄 A Little Joke

Warum hat der Baumstumpf keine Freunde mehr?
(Why does the tree stump have no friends anymore?)

Er war zu abgeholzt und stumpf!
(He was too cut down/snubbed and dull/blunt!)

(Note: 'abgeholzt' literally means 'felled/logged', but sounds a bit like 'abgekanzelt' - snubbed/told off. 'Stumpf' means stump but also dull/blunt.)

📜 Poem about a Stump

Im Walde tief, ein alter Stumpf,
(Deep in the woods, an old stump,)
erzählt von Zeiten, ohne Strumpf.
(tells of times, without a sock. [playful rhyme, less literal])
Ein Rest vom Baum, so stark und breit,
(A remnant of the tree, so strong and wide,)
zeigt Widerstand der Langlebigkeit.
(shows resistance of longevity.)

❓ Riddle Time

Ich bin der Rest, wenn man's genommen,
(I am the rest, when it's been taken,)
vom Baum gefällt, vom Stift bekommen.
(felled from the tree, gotten from the pen[cil].)
Mal hart im Wald, mal weich vom Wachs,
(Sometimes hard in the woods, sometimes soft from wax,)
bin ohne Spitze, ohne Schneid', sag an, wie heiß' ich flachs?
(I'm without a point, without an edge, tell me now, what's my name quick?)

Solution: Der Stumpf (the stump/stub)

🧩 Other Interesting Details

Word Formation:

• The noun der Stumpf is closely related to the adjective stumpf (blunt, dull).
• There are compound words like Baumstumpf (tree stump), Bleistiftstumpf (pencil stub), Armstumpf (arm stump), Beinstumpf (leg stump).
• The verb abstumpfen means to become blunt/dull or to become emotionally desensitized.

Cultural Note: Baumstümpfe (tree stumps) are sometimes artistically decorated (carvings) or used as natural seating.