noun
potato
B1
Erdapfel (der) means 'potato' — regional term used chiefly in Austria and parts of southern Germany. Plural: Erdäpfel (note the Umlaut). Synonym: Kartoffel is more common in standard German. Masculine noun, regular declension but plural differs (Erdäpfel). Use regionally in speech and recipes.
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Die Köchin legte die geschälten Erdapfel in den Topf, weil die Gäste einen traditionellen Eintopf wünschten.
The cook put the peeled potatoes into the pot because the guests wanted a traditional stew.
Der Bauer hat einen großen Erdapfel geerntet.
The farmer harvested a large potato.
In Österreich nennt man die Kartoffel auch Erdapfel.
In Austria, the potato is also called "Erdapfel."
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VOCABULARY.DETAILS.MNEMONICS
Imagine an apple-shaped potato growing just below the soil surface, with dirt still on it.
Sounds like 'earth apple' in English — an apple of the earth = potato.
der → think of 'der Bauer' (the farmer): the farmer (der) digs up the Erdapfel.
VOCABULARY.DETAILS.NOTES
Erdapfel is a regional/old-fashioned word for potato in some German dialects (esp. Austrian/Bavarian). The common standard word is Kartoffel. Use Erdapfel mostly in regional contexts or historical texts.