Rhabarber

rhubarb

noun rah-BAR-ber Rare

Origin: from Medieval Latin rhabarbarum, from Greek rha barbaron (foreign rhubarb)

Usage Note

Rhabarber is masculine: der Rhabarber. Treated as a fruit in German cooking despite being a vegetable. Used in cakes, Rhabarberkompott, and jams in spring (April–June). Needs sugar to offset the sourness.

Examples

"Der Rhabarberkuchen vom Sonntag war herrlich sauer-süß."

Natural Translation

Sunday's rhubarb cake was wonderfully sour-sweet.

Literal Translation

The rhubarb cake of Sunday was wonderfully sour-sweet.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

Weil vs Denn vs Da: "Because" in German

Weil and da send the verb to the end; denn keeps it in second position. Here's how to pick the right German "because" and place the verb correctly.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

Wo, Wohin, Woher: Three Ways to Say Where

German splits where into three: wo (location), wohin (destination), and woher (origin). Learn the wo vs wohin rule, the hin/her logic, and common mistakes.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

How Long Does It Take to Learn German? Real Timeline

How long to learn German? Conversational B1 takes ~6–12 months, fluent B2 about 1.5–2.5 years part-time. Here's an honest, hours-based timeline by CEFR level.

June 9, 2026 5 min read

GermanNow

Tipping in Germany: A Visitor's Etiquette Guide

Tipping in Germany means saying your total out loud, not leaving coins. Learn the exact phrases, how much to tip, and the Sie-vs-du etiquette travelers need.

June 5, 2026 6 min read