Stuhl
Setz dich bitte auf den Stuhl!
Please sit down on the chair!
A piece of furniture designed for one person to sit on, typically having a back and four legs.
Der Stuhl ist aus Holz und sehr stabil.
The chair is made of wood and very sturdy.
Sie kaufte einen neuen Stuhl für ihr Büro.
She bought a new chair for her office.
In German, 'Stuhl' can also refer to a seat in general, including office chairs, dining chairs, or even a toilet seat in informal contexts (e.g., 'Ich muss mal auf den Stuhl' = 'I need to use the toilet').
Pro Tip
Gender and Plural
'Stuhl' is masculine (der Stuhl) and its plural form is 'Stühle'. Remember to use the correct article (der/die/das) when referring to chairs in German.
Word Origin
From Middle High German 'stuol', from Old High German 'stuol', from Proto-Germanic '*stōlaz' (seat, chair), from Proto-Indo-European '*stā-' (to stand, to be firm). Cognates include English 'stool', Dutch 'stoel', and Swedish 'stol'.
Usage Notes
The word 'Stuhl' is a masculine noun (der Stuhl) in German. It is commonly used in everyday contexts but can also appear in compound forms (e.g., 'Bürostuhl' for office chair). In some dialects, 'Stuhl' may refer specifically to a wooden chair.