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German vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "rough" in German?
rau
In German, "rough" is rau.
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Pronunciation
Pronounced 'ROW', one syllable, rhyming with the English word 'now'.
Grammar notes
rau is an adjective. In predicate position ("it is rau") it takes no ending; when placed before a noun, its ending changes to match the noun's gender and case.
Example sentence
Die Rinde des Baumes fühlt sich rau an.
The bark of the tree feels rough.
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How to remember rau
Rau sounds like 'rowdy' cut short, a rough and unpolished way of saying rough.
Related words
- hard hart
- smooth glatt
- loud laut
- thick dick
- thin dünn
- fresh frisch
- rotten verdorben
- ripe reif
- raw roh
Browse all German words in the glossary.
Questions about rau
How do you say "rough" in German?
In German, "rough" is rau. It is an adjective.
How is rau used in a sentence?
Use rau as you would use the equivalent adjective in English. For example: Die Rinde des Baumes fühlt sich rau an. (The bark of the tree feels rough.).
Where can I practice German words for free?
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"Rough" in other languages
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