die
Krause
🎀 What exactly is a Krause?
The word die Krause (feminine) has several meanings, often related to something ruffled, curled, or crinkled:
- Clothing: The most common meaning is a frill, ruffle, or volant – a folded or gathered strip of fabric used as decoration on clothes (e.g., collars, sleeves). The historical Halskrause (ruff) is well-known.
- Hair/Head (colloquial): Sometimes "Krause" is used colloquially for curly/frizzy hair or the head with such hair ("eine wilde Krause haben" - to have wild, unruly hair).
- Plants: Certain types of cabbage with crinkled leaves are regionally called Krause (e.g., Savoy cabbage, Wirsing).
- Zoology (obsolete): A specific type of feather ornament on birds.
⚠️ The most common and primary meaning refers to the frill/ruffle on clothing.
Article rules for der, die, and das
-e/-ee → almost always feminine.
There are many -e nouns, many of which are feminine, but there are also some important exceptions.
📚 Grammar in Detail: die Krause
The noun "Krause" is feminine. The article is die.
Singular Declension
Here's how 'die Krause' declines in the singular:
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Krause |
| Genitive | der | Krause |
| Dative | der | Krause |
| Accusative | die | Krause |
Plural Declension
And here's the plural declension ('die Krausen'):
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Krausen |
| Genitive | der | Krausen |
| Dative | den | Krausen |
| Accusative | die | Krausen |
💡 Example Sentences
- Das Hemd hat eine elegante Krause am Kragen.
(The shirt has an elegant frill on the collar.) - Im 17. Jahrhundert trugen viele Adlige eine steife Krause.
(In the 17th century, many nobles wore a stiff ruff.) - Er hat eine richtige Krause auf dem Kopf!
(He has really frizzy/curly hair on his head! - colloquial) - Im Garten wächst die Krause, auch Wirsing genannt.
(The savoy cabbage, also called Krause, is growing in the garden. - regional)
🧐 How to Use "die Krause"?
The use of "die Krause" strongly depends on the context:
- Fashion & History: When talking about clothes, "Krause" usually means a ruffle or a folded collar. The "Halskrause" (ruff) is a specific historical term.
- Colloquial Language: The meaning "head/curly hair" is rather informal and not common everywhere.
- Botany: The term for cabbage varieties is regionally limited.
Potential for Confusion: The adjective "kraus" (e.g., krauses Haar - curly/frizzy hair, krause Blätter - crinkled leaves) describes the quality, whereas "die Krause" is the noun for the crinkled object or concept itself.
🧠 Memory Aids for "die Krause"
Article Mnemonic: Think of 'die' Fashion - many fashion items or decorations in German are feminine, like die Bluse (blouse) or die Schleife (bow). So, it's 'die' Krause.
Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine fabric getting 'kraus' (crinkly/curly) when you pull it together to make a ruffle - a Krause is something crinkled or ruffled.
🔄 Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms (Similar Words)
- Rüsche: Very common synonym for the decoration on clothing.
- Volant: Also a fabric decoration, often wider than a Rüsche.
- Jabot: A specific type of chest frill, usually on men's shirts.
- Wirsing/Krauskohl: Synonyms for the type of cabbage (regional).
- (Colloquial for hair/head): Lockenkopf (curly head), Wuschelkopf (mop of hair) (depending on context).
Similar Words:
😂 A Little Joke
DE: Warum hat der Salat eine Krause bekommen?
Weil er gehört hat, dass er angemacht wird!
EN: Why did the lettuce get a frill (Krause)?
Because it heard it was going to be 'dressed'! (Note: 'anmachen' can mean 'to dress' a salad or 'to hit on' someone - the joke plays on this ambiguity, implying the lettuce got 'dressed up' with a frill).
📜 A Little Poem
DE: Am Kragen fein, aus Stoff so rein, da eine Krause zart und klein.
Sie wellt sich sacht, bei Tag und Nacht, hat dem Gewand Eleganz gebracht.EN: On the collar fine, of fabric so pure, there a frill delicate and small.
It waves gently, by day and night, has brought elegance to the garment.
❓ Riddle Time
DE: Ich ziere Hälse, alt und neu, bin aus Stoff und niemals scheu. Manchmal bin ich steif und groß, manchmal locker auf dem Schoß. Bin ich am Kopf, ist's Haar voll Schwung, sonst an der Bluse – alt und jung.
Was bin ich?
EN: I adorn necks, old and new, I'm made of fabric and never shy. Sometimes I am stiff and large, sometimes loose upon the lap. If I'm on the head, it's hair full of bounce, otherwise on the blouse – old and young.
What am I?
Solution: die Krause (the frill/ruffle/curly hair)
🧩 Other Information
- Surname: "Krause" is also a common German last name. It likely derives from someone with curly hair (krauses Haar).
- Etymology: The word comes from the adjective "kraus", documented since Middle High German, meaning "curled", "wavy", "wrinkled".
- Historical Significance: The Halskrause (ruff) was an important status symbol in Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Krause?
The word "Krause" is a feminine noun, so the correct article is die Krause. It primarily refers to a frill or ruffle on clothing, but can also colloquially mean curly/frizzy hair or head, or regionally refer to certain types of cabbage.