der Bleistift
pencil
Der Bleistift (the pencil) is the everyday German word for a wooden writing pencil. It is masculine, takes der as the definite article, and forms the plural die Bleistifte. The word is a compound: Blei (lead) plus Stift (pen or writing stick), which makes sense given that pencils were once thought to contain lead.
The second part, der Stift, is worth knowing on its own. Stift is the general German word for a pen-like writing tool, and many specific tools are named as compounds with it: der Kugelschreiber (ballpoint pen, often shortened to der Kuli), der Filzstift (felt-tip pen), and der Buntstift (colored pencil). So a Bleistift is one specific kind of Stift.
You will see Bleistift in classroom and office settings: mit Bleistift schreiben (to write in pencil), einen Bleistift spitzen (to sharpen a pencil), der Bleistift ist stumpf (the pencil is blunt). Teachers often ask students to do work mit Bleistift so it can be erased.
A few related words round out the topic: der Spitzer (the pencil sharpener), der Radiergummi (the eraser), and die Mine (the pencil lead or refill).
Pronunciation: "BLY-shtift", with ei as the vowel in English "eye" and the St pronounced "sht" at the start of Stift. Stress falls on the first syllable.
Article / Gender
English
pencil
Singular
der Bleistift
Plural
die Bleistifte
der Bleistift appears in the following vocabulary collections:
Der Bleistift liegt auf dem Tisch.
The pencil is lying on the table.
Subject first, verb in position 2.
Ich brauche den Bleistift.
I need the pencil.
Akkusativ object after the verb.
Wo ist der Bleistift?
Where is the pencil?
W-questions place the verb in position 2.
- What does Bleistift mean in German?
- Bleistift means "pencil" in German, the standard wooden writing pencil. It is a compound of Blei (lead) and Stift (writing stick). It is a masculine noun, so it takes der.
- What is the plural of Bleistift?
- The plural is die Bleistifte, formed by adding -e. This is a common plural pattern for masculine German nouns, the same as der Stift → die Stifte.
- Is Bleistift masculine, feminine, or neuter?
- Bleistift is masculine, so it takes der. The gender comes from the second part of the compound, Stift, which is masculine: in German, the final element of a compound noun decides the gender of the whole word.
- What is the difference between Bleistift and Stift?
- Stift is the general word for any pen-like writing tool, while Bleistift specifically means a graphite pencil. Other compounds with Stift name different tools, such as Buntstift (colored pencil) and Filzstift (felt-tip pen).
- How do you pronounce Bleistift?
- Bleistift is pronounced "BLY-shtift", with stress on the first syllable. The ei sounds like the vowel in English "eye", and the St in the middle is pronounced "sht".