German · Food & Drink

"Corn" in German: Mais

der Mais

Say it: micemasculine · der Maisnoun/maɪ̯s/

Corn in German is der Mais. Fresh corn on the cob is often der Maiskolben. Say Frischen Mais vom Grill when you mean sweet corn.

BBQ

Legst du den Mais auf den Grill?
Are you putting the corn on the grill?
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How to pronounce Mais

Say it

mice

/maɪ̯s/

mice. Soft ai like English eye. Soft final s.

"Corn" in German: quick reference

GermanEnglish
der Maiscorn / maize

Main noun.

der Maiskolbenear of corn

Corn on the cob.

Mais essento eat corn

Meal talk.

Süßmaissweet corn

Food shops.

How to use Mais in real life

  1. 1BBQ

    Legst du den Mais auf den Grill?

    Are you putting the corn on the grill?

    Der Mais as food.

  2. 2Supermarket

    Ist der Mais schon fertig gekocht?

    Is the corn already cooked?

    Fertig gekocht = ready-cooked.

  3. 3Field trip

    Neben der Straße wächst viel Mais.

    A lot of corn grows beside the road.

    Mais as crop.

Mistakes English speakers make with Mais

Incorrect: das Corn

Correct: der Mais

Use Mais, not English corn.

Incorrect: die Mais

Correct: der Mais

Mais is masculine: der Mais.

Good to know

Grilled Maiskolben shows up at summer festivals and beer gardens. Popcorn is Popcorn; cornflakes stay Cornflakes—loanwords next to Mais.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Picking sides for dinner

  1. ChatPal

    Wollen wir Mais oder Salat dazu?

    Do we want corn or salad with it?

  2. You

    Mais, bitte. Mit Butter und Salz.

    Corn, please. With butter and salt.

  3. ChatPal

    Okay. Ich hole zwei Maiskolben.

    Okay. I'll get two ears of corn.

  4. You

    Perfekt. Warmer Mais schmeckt im Sommer am besten.

    Perfect. Warm corn tastes best in summer.

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"Corn" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Corn" in German

How do you say corn?

Der Mais.

Corn on the cob?

Der Maiskolben.

Gender?

Masculine: der Mais.

Popcorn?

Usually Popcorn, not Mais.

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