Zeichen

German

Etymology

    From Middle High German zeichen, from Old High German zeihhan (“sign, symbol”), from Proto-West Germanic *taikn, from Proto-Germanic *taikną, *taiknaz (“sign”), from Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- (“to show”). Doublet of Token.

    Cognate with Bavarian Zoachn, Alemannic German Zeiche, Dutch teken, Low German Teiken, English token, Danish tegn, Swedish tecken.

    Pronunciation

    • IPA(key): /ˈt͡saɪ̯çən/, [-çn̩], [-xn̩] (Germany)
      • Audio (Germany (Berlin)):(file)
    • IPA(key): /ˈt͡saɪ̯çɛn/, [-ˌt͡saɛ̯-], [-xn̩], [-xŋ̩] (Austria, Southern Germany, Switzerland)
    • Rhymes: -aɪçən
    • Hyphenation: Zei‧chen

    Noun

    Zeichen n (strong, genitive Zeichens, plural Zeichen, diminutive Zeichlein n or Zeichelchen n)

    1. sign, token (object representing something)
      Sie gab mir ihr Taschentuch als Zeichen ihrer Liebe.
      She gave me her handkerchief as a token of her love.
    2. signal (gesture, command or other indication to announce or alert)
    3. sign, indication (fact that reveals an underlying state)
      Synonym: Anzeichen
      Der Einstellungsstopp ist ein Zeichen, dass es der Firma nicht gut geht.
      The hiring freeze is a sign that the company isn't doing well.
    4. sign, mark (glyph that communicates something)
    5. (typography) character
    6. (religion) sign, miracle, prodigy

    Declension

    Declension of Zeichen [neuter, strong]
    singular plural
    indef. def. noun def. noun
    nominative ein das Zeichen die Zeichen
    genitive eines des Zeichens der Zeichen
    dative einem dem Zeichen den Zeichen
    accusative ein das Zeichen die Zeichen

    Hyponyms

    Derived terms

    compound nouns

    Further reading

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