die
Schraube
🔩 What exactly is a 'Schraube'?
Die Schraube is a fundamental component in technology and crafts. It primarily has two meanings:
- Fastener: This is the most common meaning. A 'Schraube' is a cylindrical or conical pin with an external thread ('Außengewinde') and a head ('Kopf') (or another drive mechanism). It is used to connect two or more parts, often in conjunction with a nut ('Mutter') or an internal thread ('Innengewinde') in the material itself. You turn it in to create a firm connection.
- Propeller/Ship's Screw: In a maritime context, 'die Schraube' often refers to the propeller of a ship or boat, which generates propulsion by rotating in the water. Sometimes also used for aircraft ('Luftschraube').
⚠️ Pay attention to the context to determine the correct meaning.
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 of 'die Schraube' in Detail
The noun 'Schraube' is feminine. The article is die.
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Schraube |
| Genitive | der | Schraube |
| Dative | der | Schraube |
| Accusative | die | Schraube |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Schrauben |
| Genitive | der | Schrauben |
| Dative | den | Schrauben |
| Accusative | die | Schrauben |
📝 Example Sentences
- Der Handwerker dreht die Schraube fest. (The craftsman tightens the screw.)
- Ohne die Schrauben würde das Regal zusammenfallen. (Without the screws, the shelf would collapse.)
- Der Kopf der Schraube ist beschädigt. (The head of the screw is damaged.)
- Das Schiff wird von einer großen Schraube angetrieben. (The ship is propelled by a large screw/propeller.)
- Mit diesen Schrauben können wir das Bild aufhängen. (With these screws, we can hang the picture.)
🔧 When to use 'die Schraube'?
The term die Schraube is mostly used in technical or craft-related contexts.
- Making connections: "Gib mir bitte mal die M6-Schraube." (Please give me the M6 screw.) or "Diese Schraube passt nicht in das Gewinde." (This screw doesn't fit the thread.)
- Tightening/Loosening: One talks about 'eine Schraube anziehen' (to tighten a screw) or 'lösen' (to loosen). "Du musst die Schraube noch etwas anziehen." (You need to tighten the screw a bit more.)
- Maritime/Aviation: "Die Schraube des Schiffes hat sich im Seegras verfangen." (The ship's propeller got caught in the seaweed.)
- Colloquial/Figurative: The idiom 'eine Schraube locker haben' (literally 'to have a screw loose') means someone is crazy or not quite right in the head. "Der Typ hat doch eine Schraube locker!" (That guy must have a screw loose!)
Unlike a 'Nagel' (nail), which is hammered in, a 'Schraube' is turned. A 'Bolzen' (bolt) often has no thread of its own or a head for turning and is more likely used with nuts ('Muttern').
💡 Mnemonics for 'die Schraube'
Article Mnemonic: Imagine an elegant she-robot (feminine -> die) carefully turning a complex Schraube. The 'she' helps remember 'die'.
Meaning Mnemonic: The word Schraube sounds a bit like the English word "screw". Easy connection: a 'Schraube' is a screw. Also, the German verb 'schrauben' means 'to screw'.
🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms (similar meaning):
- Gewindestift: A type of screw without a head (grub screw/set screw).
- Bolzen: Bolt; similar, often larger and more robust, frequently used with a nut.
- (Schiffs-)Propeller: For the second meaning (ship's propeller).
🚨 Be careful with Mutter: The 'Mutter' (nut) is the counterpart to the 'Schraube', having an internal thread, not a screw itself.
😂 A Little Joke
Warum hat der Handwerker seine Schrauben verloren?
Weil er eine Schraube locker hatte! 😉
Translation: Why did the craftsman lose his screws?
Because he had a screw loose!
✒️ Poem about the 'Schraube'
Kleine Schraube, stark und fein,
drehst dich ins Material hinein.
Hältst zusammen, was sonst fällt,
ein Held der kleinen Werkstatt-Welt.
Mal aus Stahl, mal glänzend rein,
ohne dich bricht alles ein.
Translation:
Little screw, strong and fine,
you turn into the material line.
Holding together what would fall apart,
a hero of the small workshop art.
Sometimes steel, sometimes shining bright,
without you, everything breaks in the light.
❓ Riddle Time
Ich habe einen Kopf, doch kann nicht denken.
Ich habe ein Gewinde, doch kann nichts schenken.
Ich verbinde Teile, groß und klein,
wer bin ich wohl, sag an, sei fein!
Translation:
I have a head, but cannot think.
I have a thread, but offer no gift's blink.
I connect parts, large and small,
who am I then, answer the call!
Solution: Die Schraube (The screw)
⚙️ More about 'die Schraube'
Word Compounds ('Wortzusammensetzungen'): 'Die Schraube' is part of many useful German words:
- Schraubenzieher / Schraubendreher: Screwdriver (the tool for turning the 'Schraube').
- Schraubstock: Vice (a device for clamping workpieces).
- Schraubverschluss: Screw cap (e.g., on bottles).
- Schraubgewinde: Screw thread (the spiral profile of the 'Schraube').
- Inbusschraube: Allen screw / hex screw (a screw with a hexagonal socket).
Trivia: The principle of the screw ('Gewinde') is one of the six classical simple machines and was already used in antiquity (e.g., the Archimedes' screw for lifting water).
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Schraube?
The German word Schraube is feminine, so the correct article is always die. There is only this one grammatical gender for the word itself, even though it has different meanings (fastener, propeller).