The German word for stone is der Stein.
It refers to natural stones, pebbles, gemstones, and even fruit pits. From geology to fairy tales, Stein in German is a small word with solid cultural and literal weight.

It’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German (download the full illustrated PDF for free), and it’s a word that shows up in nature, construction, language, and metaphor.

Gender and Pronunciation

It’s a masculine noun: der Stein.
Want to get better at remembering noun genders? This video lesson helps you spot patterns and learn them quickly.

Pronunciation:
Stein is pronounced [shtine]

• Rhymes with “mine”

• Begins with “sh” as in “shoe”
  One syllable: SHTINE

Example sentences

Ich habe einen schönen Stein am Strand gefunden.

I found a beautiful stone on the beach.

Der Weg ist voller kleiner Steine.

The path is full of little stones.

Er warf einen Stein ins Wasser.

He threw a stone into the water.

Nuance and usage tips

🪨 Stein refers to natural stones, rocks, gemstones, and even fruit pits. Context is key.

🍑 In food, it means the pit or stone of a fruit: Pfirsich mit Stein = “peach with a pit.”

💎 In jewelry, ein wertvoller Stein could refer to a gemstone.

🗿 In fairy tales or history, it may mean “boulder,” “rock,” or “magical stone.”

🏗️ It also appears in architecture and construction—Baustein (building block), Ziegelstein (brick), Grabstein (gravestone).

How does this word come up in real conversations?

"Pass auf, da liegt ein Stein auf dem Weg."

Watch out—there’s a stone on the path.

"Der Ring hat einen blauen Stein."

The ring has a blue stone.

"Ich hab mir den Fuß an einem Stein gestoßen."

I stubbed my foot on a stone.

Sample Dialogue (Beginner Level)

Timo: Was sammelst du da?
Lena: Steine – die glatten vom Fluss.
Timo: Hast du schon viele?
Lena: Ja, schau mal. Dieser hier glänzt sogar!

Translation:
Timo: What are you collecting?
Lena: Stones—the smooth ones from the river.
Timo: Do you have a lot already?
Lena: Yes, look. This one even shines!

Grammatical case examples

Nominative:
Der Stein ist schwer.

The stone is heavy.

Accusative:
Ich habe den Stein aufgehoben.

I picked up the stone.

Dative:
Mit dem Stein kannst du nichts anfangen.

You can’t do anything with that stone.

Genitive:
Die Farbe des Steins ist besonders.

The color of the stone is special.

Other ways to say stone in German

While Stein is the core word for stone in German, other terms add nuance:

• Fels / Felsen – large rock, cliff, boulder

• Kiesel – pebble

• Brocken – chunk or large piece of stone

• Granit / Marmor – specific types of stone like granite or marble

For gemstones, Edelstein (precious stone) and Halbedelstein (semi-precious stone) are common.

Word variations and tidbits

Stein appears in compound nouns across many areas:

• Grabstein – gravestone

• Meilenstein – milestone (also used figuratively)

• Backstein – brick

• Schlüsselstein – keystone

• Steinschlag – rockfall (common on road signs!)

• Fruchtstein – fruit stone/pit

Idiomatically, you might hear:
Ein Stein fällt vom Herzen – “A stone falls from the heart,” meaning a weight has been lifted.
Jemandem Steine in den Weg legen – “To put stones in someone’s path,” meaning to make things harder for them.

🧠 Fun fact: The name Stein is also common in German surnames and town names—like Heidelberg an der Steinach—often pointing to geographic or occupational origins.

📘 Duden entry for Stein
🎥 Want to build your vocabulary stone by stone? Our free video course teaches the top 1000 German nouns—with examples, visuals, and a printable illustrated PDF to support every step of your learning.

Ready for more German Words of the Day?
Do you know what Schwachsinn means? It’s what some people call rolling the wrong Stein uphill.
And what about Schwierigkeit? Every Stein in your path might just be one.