German Hardware Store Vocabulary — Tools and Materials
After this lesson you can ask for a tool or a part and describe what you need it for.
Do this first: Plurals
Übungen
Eight exercises on what you just watched. Get 80% and the lesson is marked done and added to your A1 progress.
1 / 8 · Word order
Put the words in the right order.
I'm looking for screws for a shelf.
2 / 8 · Word order
Put the words in the right order.
Where do I find the wall plugs?
3 / 8 · Choose
What is die Schraube?
4 / 8 · Choose
What is der Nagel?
5 / 8 · Choose
What is der Dübel?
6 / 8 · Choose
What is die Bohrmaschine?
7 / 8 · Choose
What is der Bohrer?
8 / 8 · Choose
What is der Schraubenzieher?
In short
In a German Baumarkt you ask with Ich suche … (I'm looking for) or Wo finde ich …?. The core words are die Schraube (screw), der Nagel (nail), der Hammer, der Bohrer (drill bit) and die Bohrmaschine (drill). Sizes are in millimetres.
How it works
The Baumarkt is where German plurals stop being an abstraction, because you almost never buy one of anything: zehn Schrauben, drei Nägel, zwei Dübel. Every item in this lesson is worth learning with its plural attached — Schraube/Schrauben, Nagel/Nägel, Brett/Bretter.
The phrases are short. Ich suche … opens almost every exchange. If you do not know the word, describe the job instead: Ich möchte ein Regal an die Wand hängen — "I want to hang a shelf on the wall" — and the staff will find the part. This is a far more effective strategy than hunting for a noun you have never learned.
Two practical points. German DIY runs entirely in millimetres, so a screw is eine 4 mal 40 — 4 mm thick, 40 mm long. And the word you will need more than any other is der Dübel, the wall plug: German walls are usually masonry rather than plasterboard, so nothing goes up without one.
| German | English | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| die Schraube | screw | die Schrauben |
| der Nagel | nail | die Nägel |
| der Dübel | wall plug | die Dübel |
| das Brett | board, plank | die Bretter |
| die Mutter | nut | die Muttern |
| das Rohr | pipe | die Rohre |
| German | English |
|---|---|
| der Hammer | hammer |
| die Bohrmaschine | drill |
| der Bohrer | drill bit |
| der Schraubenzieher | screwdriver |
| die Zange | pliers |
| die Säge | saw |
| der Zollstock | folding ruler |
| das Werkzeug | tool, tools |
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Ich suche Schrauben. | I'm looking for screws. |
| Wo finde ich die Dübel? | Where do I find the wall plugs? |
| Haben Sie das in 6 mm? | Do you have that in 6 mm? |
| Ich brauche etwas für die Wand. | I need something for the wall. |
| Können Sie mir helfen? | Can you help me? |
| Was empfehlen Sie? | What do you recommend? |
Examples
- Ich suche Schrauben für ein Regal.I'm looking for screws for a shelf.
- Wo finde ich die Dübel?Where do I find the wall plugs?
- Ich brauche zehn Schrauben, 4 mal 40.I need ten screws, 4 by 40.
- Haben Sie einen Bohrer in 6 mm?Do you have a 6 mm drill bit?
- Ich möchte ein Regal an die Wand hängen.I want to hang a shelf on the wall.
- Was empfehlen Sie?What do you recommend?
- Kann man die Bohrmaschine mieten?Can you rent the drill?
- Wie viele Nägel brauche ich?How many nails do I need?
- Das Brett ist zu lang.The board is too long.
- Können Sie das zuschneiden?Can you cut that to size?
Mistakes to avoid
✗ Ich suche eine Schraube (when you need ten)
✓ Ich suche Schrauben.
Fixings are bought in quantity. The bare plural is what you want — no article needed.
✗ Asking in inches
✓ Asking in millimetres
German DIY is entirely metric and screws are given as thickness × length in mm: 4 × 40, 5 × 60.
✗ Hunting for a word you do not know
✓ Describing the job
Ich möchte ein Regal an die Wand hängen gets you to the right aisle faster than trying to recall a noun. Staff are used to it.
✗ die Nagel
✓ der Nagel
Nagel is masculine, plural die Nägel with an umlaut. Learn the plural at the same time — you will always be buying more than one.
Wortschatz
The words from this lesson.
| der Baumarkt | DIY / hardware store | |
| die Schraube | screw | plural: die Schrauben |
| der Nagel | nail | plural: die Nägel |
| der Dübel | wall plug | |
| die Bohrmaschine | drill | |
| der Bohrer | drill bit | |
| das Werkzeug | tool, tools | |
| die Wand | wall | |
| suchen | to look for | |
| empfehlen | to recommend |
Kulturnotiz
The Dübel is a small monument to German building standards. Walls in German flats are usually solid masonry rather than plasterboard, so you cannot simply push a screw or a picture hook into them — you drill, insert a plug, then screw. It is also why drilling is restricted by the Hausordnung: not on Sundays, not during Mittagsruhe, and never after 20:00.
Common questions
+How do I ask for something if I do not know the word?
Describe the job: Ich möchte ein Regal an die Wand hängen. Staff in a Baumarkt deal with this constantly and will take you to the right part.
+What size are German screws given in?
Millimetres, as thickness × length — eine 4 mal 40 is 4 mm thick and 40 mm long. There are no inches anywhere in the system.
+What is a Dübel and why do I need one?
A wall plug. German walls are usually solid masonry, so you drill a hole, push in the Dübel, then drive the screw into it. Almost nothing gets hung without one.
+When can I drill in a German flat?
Not on Sundays or public holidays, not during Mittagsruhe (roughly 13:00–15:00 in many buildings) and not after 20:00. The rules are in the Hausordnung and they are enforced socially.