die Brühe, -n

Meaning (English)

Brühe primarily means broth or stock: a flavorful liquid made by simmering meat, bones, fish, or vegetables in water (often with herbs and spices). It can be used as a base for soups, sauces, risottos, etc.

In everyday German, Brühe can also refer more generally to a thin soup / watery liquid, sometimes with a slightly negative tone (something like “thin gruel” or “watery stuff”).

Parts / word formation

• Brüh- relates to brühen (“to scald, to pour boiling water over; to brew”).
• The noun Brühe is the resulting liquid (what has been “brewed/simmered”).

Multiple meanings / usage notes

1. Cooking sense (neutral): broth/stock
   • Gemüsebrühe = vegetable broth
   • Hühnerbrühe = chicken broth
2. Colloquial/figurative sense (often derogatory): a thin, unimpressive liquid or “watery soup”
   • Was ist das für eine Brühe? ≈ “What kind of watery stuff is this?”

German synonyms

• Bouillon (often used like “broth”)
• Suppe (more general: soup; not always the same as Brühe)
• Fonds / Fond (culinary “stock,” often in professional contexts)
• Sud (broth/infusion/cooking liquid; e.g., fish or meat “Sud”)

German antonyms (where applicable)

Not a perfect opposite, but depending on context:

• Festes / fester Bestandteil (something solid vs. liquid)
• For the “watery” sense: dicke Suppe, sämige Suppe (thick, hearty soup)