German Verb to Clean?

Hello everyone,

I am from the United States, and I am trying to learn the German language. I will not lie. I find that I am walking more uphill with this language than downhill with this language.

My primary learning resource is the eighth edition of Wie Geht's An Introductory Course by Dieter Sevin and Ingrid Sevin. I used this book in secondary school, but I did not really learn the language. Now I want to sit down and really learn. But I struggle with contemporary vocabulary.

I now have three German pen pals who are helping me learn, but they come from different parts of Germany and they do not always use the same words that used in this book. I know that there are different dialects, but this book teaches Hochdeutsch. My friends are always saying, "Don't use that word, I would use this word." Or..."we don't use that word." And there are even times when they do not know the word that I am using.

For example,

I had a problem the other day with the verb "to clean."

Wie Geht's teaches the German verb "putzen" for "to clean."

I could not remember this verb so I searched for "to clean" in the dictionaries.

All three dictionaries have "säuber, reinigen, putzen."

Are these words interchangeable? Do they have different meanings? Different reasons for usage?

Why is "putzen" always the last word listed? Is it not used as often? It was the only word given in Wie Geht's, but it is last word I see used on the internet when I searched for the verb "to clean."

I hope there are some fluent or native speakers of German hear who can help me understand the difference and usages of these verbs.

I'm not a native German speaker, but 'sauber' is the adjective 'clean', not a verb. All German infinitive verbs end in 'n'. So you could say:

'Ihr Haus ist sehr sauber' - 'Her house is very clean'.

I think you can say 'sauber machen' though - 'To make clean'.

As for the difference between the other two, I'm not entirely sure, although I would instinctively use 'putzen' to talk about housework i.e. cleaning the house in general.

But I'll have to leave it to the native speakers to clarify.

Putzen = to clean Verb

Use putzen for cleaning things (house, car etc)

Ich putze
Du putzst

Er
Sie putzt
Es

Wir putzen
Ihr putzt
Sie putzen

Sauber = (means it is clean)

That is clean - Das ist sauber.

Reinigen = cleansed. Like your body and soul has been cleansed (Biblical)


I'm not native German but I think my German is pretty good.

Oops...

I did not spell it correctly. I know that sauber is an adjective for clean.

The verb I wanted to write as another option for clean is "Säubern." This is the first verb listed in three different dictionaries for the vert "to clean."

Because "säubern" is the first word listed in so many dictionaries I thought maybe this is the word that is being used by the majority of Germans.

Or, is this a dialect thing?

Don't worry about "säubern". Hardly anyone says it. You are more likely to hear "sauber machen".

"Putzen" is what you do around the house.
Reinigen means "to clense" and it's what you do do dishes.

You often have to get used to verb variations in German.

For example, to spend money is ausgeben. But to spend time is verbringen.

What we need is another German race cleanse

Polaks, Turks, Sicilians, French, Spanish, Roma, Semites, Russians, benders, Reds and Nigerians and Paddies WATCH OUT!

<<All three dictionaries have "säuber, reinigen, putzen.">>

It's actually 'säubern'.

Are these words interchangeable? Do they have different meanings? Different reasons for usage?>>

As was already said, putzen is more for hoursehold and cars etc. It has a slightly derogative meaning. A couple of years ago, 'Putzfrau' was quite a normal term for a woman who cleansed offices etc. for money. Today, it is politically incorrect to use it. You could replace it with 'Reinemachefrau', which is somewhat clumsy. There's a really nice politically correct englishy term for that for sure, but I don't know it. For me, Putzfrau is quite ok.

I would use reinigen and säubern quite interchangeabley. Of course, reinigen is the most high level one, followed by säubern.

I would prefer 'saubermachen' to the torn apart form.

Why is "putzen" always the last word listed? Is it not used as often? It was the only word given in Wie Geht's, but it is last word I see used on the internet when I searched for the verb "to clean.">>

I don't know, ask the editor of your learning material. Maybe it is because of the highest level word (highest speach register) comes first.

There's also waschen which can be used to mean cleaning.

>>Polaks, Turks, Sicilians, French, Spanish, Roma, Semites, Russians, benders, Reds and Nigerians and Paddies WATCH OUT!

What do you have against Paddies?

They are a big-eared violent ugly backwards superstitious alcoholic patato eating race. Very odd and degenerated branch of Northern European humanity is your average Irish tribesman and tribesslut.

Heinz Ubermannegger ... tell everyone how you really feel.

And in truth, as a person who has always taken great pride with his German ancestry...I have no trouble saying that if you remove the word potato from your discription above...you could also be describing the Germans, French, English, Americans, Swedish...or any Northen European...LOL

We all tend to like our alcohol and superstitions. And I have seen big ears in all coutries ;-)

the French are not Northern Europeans.

If by "Northern European" you are talking about the physical location of France...then I have to agree with you. However, northern French culture is a hosh posh and more northern than sounthern...or...at least that is how it felt when I was there. But I am not a cultural expert, so I am the first to admit that I am not qualified to judge such things.

I was just commenting on Heinz Ubermannegger's post that those physical stereotypes that were given to the Irish can be found in any group of people on this planet. All one has to do is look around...LOL