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I found myself on the telephone today attempting to explain the volume that a bunch of furniture would perhaps occupy in a truck, and I used

Fünf cubisch Metern

But it was fairly clear to me that I was making a mistake. How does one state such measurements correctly in German?

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    Fünf Kubikmeter
    – Em1
    Feb 6, 2012 at 11:44
  • @Em1 Thanks. Post as answer? Feb 6, 2012 at 11:45
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    Great question, a new and useful topic, +1.
    – user508
    Feb 6, 2012 at 11:58
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    Hint: Meter and Kubikmeter are both singular and plural. Ein Meter, fünf Meter, ein Kubikmeter, fünf Kubikmeter.
    – bernd_k
    Feb 6, 2012 at 13:46

3 Answers 3

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The measurement for volume is given in Kubikmeter DUDEN WIKIPEDIA

Dagegen sagte der ukrainische Energieminister Juri Boiko in Kiew, Gazprom pumpe jeden Tag 75 Millionen Kubikmeter weniger Gas in die Pipelines durch die Ukraine als vereinbart. ZEIT

Das Mädchen aus dem brandenburgischen Plattenburg war an jenem Tag an der Steilküste verunglückt, als sich mehrere Tausend Kubikmeter Erde und Kreide aus dem Kliff lösten und in die Tiefe stürzten. ZEIT

Mathematical hint: One Kubikdezimeter is one Liter or 1000 Liter are one Kubikmeter ;p

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    Hint: Between 1901 and 1964 one litre was not defined to be exactly 1 cubic decimetre cf. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Litre orhttp://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liter. I had to learn that garbage (the definition of 1901) when I went to school.
    – bernd_k
    Feb 6, 2012 at 14:31
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    Pronounciation: Kub'ikmeter (stress on the i)
    – splattne
    Feb 6, 2012 at 20:47
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Neben Kubikmeter kann man auch sagen Meter hoch Drei, was die Lesart für ist, und in mathematischen/technischen Zusammenhängen üblich ist.


Beside Kubikmeter you could as well use Meter hoch Drei, especially in mathematical/technical kontext, and which is just the pronunciation¹ of .

¹) Thanks to Em1 after longer debate in comments, he convinced me, that it is better than articulation or spelling.

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  • Spelling is not what you mean. I'm not sure how to say it correctly. Mar 20, 2012 at 14:53
  • Articulation? Mar 20, 2012 at 21:27
  • @userunknown This was also my first idea. But no, I don't think so. Pronunciation is more appropriate. Articulation Pronunciation
    – Em1
    Mar 21, 2012 at 8:51
  • Maybe this would be a question worth on GLU :D
    – Em1
    Mar 21, 2012 at 8:52
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    @Em1: Enough! Convinced. :) Mar 21, 2012 at 10:07
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Specific for the trade with wood (esp. firewood or other cut wood), there is also the Raummeter or Ster. One Ster includes the space between the pieces of wood. Depending how you stack the wood, the result may differ.

In your specific case (furniture), Ster would be wrong (at least, if you don’t want to use it as firewood)

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  • While we are at it: Raummeter is also known as Festmeter
    – fer-rum
    Jan 26, 2017 at 10:47
  • Maybe it should be noted that, while everyone learns about the unit Kubikmeter rather early in school, knowledge about the units Raummeter or Ster may be restricted to professionals of wood/furniture-related industries. Jan 28, 2017 at 11:13

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