Pflanzen gießen

You use it just like the English 'to water plants.' In a sentence, you'll usually conjugate gießen. For example, Ich gieße die Blumen (I am watering the flowers). It follows standard German sentence structure. You can use it in the present tense for habits. You can also use it in the past tense with gegossen. It is a very flexible and 'safe' phrase for any level.

Use it whenever you are talking about chores. Tell your roommate you already did it. Ask a neighbor to do it while you are on vacation. It works perfectly in text messages or casual chats. You can even use it in a professional setting. If you work in an office with greenery, it's a common topic. It’s a great small-talk starter about gardening hobbies.

Don't use gießen for people or animals. You wouldn't say you are 'pouring' water for your dog. For pets, use zu trinken geben. Also, don't use it for heavy rain. If it's pouring outside, Germans say Es gießt in Strömen. Using Pflanzen gießen for a rainstorm would sound very confusing. It implies a deliberate, controlled action with a watering can.

Germans take their 'Urban Jungle' and balconies very seriously. Having a 'Grüner Daumen' (green thumb) is a point of pride. In many apartment buildings, neighbors have a 'Gieß-Patenschaft' (watering partnership). This means they water each other's plants during holidays. It is a sign of trust and community. If someone trusts you with their plants, you've made a real friend.

You will often hear Blumen gießen (watering flowers). This is used even if the plants don't have blooms. Another variation is den Garten wässern for larger outdoor areas. If you are being very thorough, you might say einschlämmen. But for 99% of situations, Pflanzen gießen is exactly what you need. It's simple, effective, and very German.