die  Brust

A2

Estimated CEFR level.

/bʁʊst/

❤️ What does "die Brust" mean?

The German word die Brust (feminine) has several meanings:

• Anatomical (general): The front part of the human or animal torso between the neck and the abdomen; the chest (thorax). Example: Er hat Schmerzen in der Brust. (He has pain in his chest.)
• Anatomical (specifically female): The female mammary gland; the breast. Example: Das Baby trinkt an der Brust der Mutter. (The baby drinks at the mother's breast.)
• Figurative/Emotional: Can symbolically represent the heart, feelings, or courage. Example: Er schlug sich stolz an die Brust. (He proudly beat his chest.) / Sie sprach aus voller Brust. (She spoke with full conviction / at the top of her lungs.)
• Culinary: The meat from the chest area of certain animals, especially poultry. Example: Zum Abendessen gibt es Hähnchenbrust. (We're having chicken breast for dinner.)

🚨 Important: In German, the same word "die Brust" is used for the chest in both men and women, as well as specifically for the female breast. The context makes the meaning clear.

🧐 Grammar of "die Brust"

The noun "Brust" is feminine. The article is "die".

📝 Example Sentences

• Nominative: Die Brust schmerzte nach dem Husten.
  (The chest hurt after coughing.)
• Genitive: Die Form der Brust ist individuell.
  (The shape of the breast/chest is individual.)
• Dative: Er legte die Hand auf der Brust ab.
  (He rested his hand on his chest - indicating location.)
• Accusative: Der Arzt untersucht die Brust.
  (The doctor examines the chest/breast.)
• Plural: Bei Frauen spricht man von Brüsten.
  (In women, one speaks of breasts.)

🗣️ How to use "die Brust"?

Contexts of Use

• Medicine/Anatomy: Very common in medical contexts (e.g., Brustschmerzen - chest pain, Brustkrebs - breast cancer, Brustuntersuchung - breast/chest examination).
• Everyday Language: Used often to describe the front upper body (e.g., sich an die Brust werfen - to throw oneself at someone's chest, etwas auf der Brust haben - to have something on one's chest [= to have a problem/worry]).
• Cooking: When cooking poultry (Hähnchenbrust - chicken breast, Putenbrust - turkey breast).
• Emotion/Expression: In idioms expressing feelings or conviction (aus voller Brust singen - to sing at the top of one's lungs, sich mit stolzgeschwellter Brust zeigen - to show oneself with a puffed-up chest [proudly]).

Comparison with Similar Words

• Busen: Often used as a synonym for the female *Brust*, sometimes perceived as more poetic, dated, or colloquial.
• Brustkorb (Thorax): Refers specifically to the bony structure protecting the organs. *Die Brust* can include the *Brustkorb* but is more general.
• Dekolleté: Refers to the neckline of women's clothing and the visible area of the neck, shoulders, and upper chest/breast.

⚠️ Avoid confusion: In German, it's always *die Brust*, whether referring to male or female anatomy, the general chest area, or specifically the female breast. The plural *die Brüste* usually refers to female breasts or multiple pieces of breast meat.

💡 Mnemonics for "die Brust"

Remembering the Article "die"

Think of the primary association for many learners: the female *Brust*. Since "die" is the feminine article, it fits perfectly: Die Frau hat die Brust. (The woman has the breast.)

Remembering the Meaning(s)

Imagine someone puffing out their chest with pride, almost like they want to burst. Both *Brust* and *burst* involve the chest area and sound somewhat alike. Whether it's pride, pain, or a piece of chicken, it's *die Brust*.

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

Similar, Potentially Confusing Words

• Borste: (bristle) - sounds similar but unrelated.
• Brüstung: (parapet, railing, e.g., on a balcony) - contains *Brust*, but refers to a protective barrier roughly at chest height.

😂 A Little Joke

German: Warum tragen Skelette keine Hemden? Weil sie nichts auf der Brust haben!

English: Why don't skeletons wear shirts? Because they have nothing on their chest! 😉 (A pun: 'nothing on their chest' can mean literally no flesh/organs, or figuratively no problems/worries).

✍️ Poem about "die Brust"

German:
Die Brust, ein Schild, mal stolz, mal schwer,
Hält Herz und Atem, gibt so viel her.
Mal sanft gewölbt, mal stark und breit,
Ein Teil des Lebens, zu jeder Zeit.

Ob Hühnchen zart auf dem Teller liegt,
Ob Mutterliebe das Kindlein wiegt,
Ob Schmerz darin, ob Freud' entspringt,
Die Brust das Leben in sich bringt.

English Translation:
The chest, a shield, sometimes proud, sometimes heavy,
Holds heart and breath, offers so much already.
Sometimes gently curved, sometimes strong and wide,
A part of life, where feelings reside.

Whether tender chicken lies on the plate,
Whether mother's love seals baby's fate,
Whether pain within, or joy takes wing,
The chest contains the life these things bring.

❓ Riddle Time

German:
Ich bin vorne am Körper, nicht hinten,
Kann schmerzen, wenn Erkältungen dich finden.
Bei Frauen bin ich oft anders geformt,
Als Hähnchenteil werd' ich gern geschmort.

Was bin ich?
... Die Brust

English:
I'm on the front of the body, not the back,
I can hurt when colds attack.
In women, my shape often differs,
As a chicken part, I'm enjoyed by dinner-goers.

What am I?
... Die Brust (The chest/breast)

🌐 Other Information

Compound Words (Wortzusammensetzungen)

*Brust* is part of many compound words in German:

• Brustkorb: Rib cage / thorax
• Brustschwimmen: Breaststroke (swimming style)
• Brustkrebs: Breast cancer
• Brusttasche: Breast pocket (e.g., on a shirt)
• Brustwarze: Nipple
• Brustmuskel: Pectoral muscle
• Hähnchenbrust/Putenbrust: Chicken breast / turkey breast
• Brustbeutel: A small pouch worn around the neck

Idioms (Redewendungen)

• Sich in die Brust werfen: (lit. 'to throw oneself into the chest') To boast, swagger, act important.
• Etwas auf der Brust haben: (lit. 'to have something on the chest') To have a problem or worry weighing on one's mind.
• Aus voller Brust: (lit. 'from a full chest') Loudly and strongly (singing, speaking), with conviction.
• Jemandem die Pistole auf die Brust setzen: (lit. 'to put the pistol on someone's chest') To put someone under pressure, force them to make a decision.