German · Food & Drink

"Butter" in German: Butter

die Butter

Say it: BOOT-terfeminine · die Butternoun/ˈbʊtɐ/

Butter in German is die Butter, feminine. Soft butter is weiche Butter. A buttered roll is often ein Butterbrot.

At breakfast

Reichst du mir bitte die Butter?
Can you pass me the butter, please?
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How to pronounce Butter

Say it

BOOT-ter

/ˈbʊtɐ/

BOOT-ter. Short u like “book,” soft final -er. Stress the first syllable.

"Butter" in German: quick reference

GermanEnglish
die Butterbutter

Default noun.

weiche Buttersoft butter

Ready to spread.

kalte Buttercold butter

Straight from the fridge.

das Butterbrotbuttered bread / sandwich

Everyday compound.

How to use Butter in real life

  1. 1At breakfast

    Reichst du mir bitte die Butter?

    Can you pass me the butter, please?

    Die Butter in accusative after reichen.

  2. 2Cooking

    Ich brate die Zwiebeln in Butter.

    I fry the onions in butter.

    In Butter for cooking fat.

  3. 3Shopping list

    Wir brauchen noch Butter und Milch.

    We still need butter and milk.

    Bare Butter works on lists.

Mistakes English speakers make with Butter

Incorrect: der Butter

Correct: die Butter

Butter is feminine: die Butter.

Incorrect: Butteren aufs Brot

Correct: Butter aufs Brot

Butter is a noun, not a verb form here.

Good to know

Butterbrot is a classic German snack: bread with butter, often plus cheese or cold cuts. In bakeries you still hear Leute ask for ein Butterbrötchen.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Making toast

  1. ChatPal

    Ist die Butter schon weich?

    Is the butter soft already?

  2. You

    Nein, die Butter ist noch hart.

    No, the butter is still hard.

  3. ChatPal

    Dann warte zwei Minuten. Butter schmilzt schnell.

    Then wait two minutes. Butter melts fast.

  4. You

    Okay. Ich hole die Butter aus dem Kühlschrank.

    Okay. I will get the butter out of the fridge.

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"Butter" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Butter" in German

What gender is Butter?

Feminine: die Butter.

How do you say soft butter?

Weiche Butter.

What is a Butterbrot?

Bread with butter; often a simple sandwich.

Is margarine the same word?

No — that is die Margarine.

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