Dinge
The German phrase for "things" is Dinge.
Dinge refers to physical objects that are not living beings.
Which one should you use?
Sachen is a very common synonym for Dinge and is often used more colloquially in everyday speech to refer to belongings or general "stuff".
How does it change in a sentence?
The singular form of Dinge is Ding, which is a neuter noun that takes the article das (das Ding). In the dative plural, Dinge adds an -n to become den Dingen.
Did you know?
- In early Germanic law, a Ding was not an object but a formal assembly or a court meeting where legal disputes were settled.
- The phrase Sache is closely related to the word Sachverstand, which refers to a person's expert knowledge or technical proficiency in a subject.
- In German legal or formal contexts, the word Sache is frequently used to mean 'matter' or 'case', rather than a physical thing.
Examples in context
- Was sind diese Dinge?What are these things?This sentence is useful for asking about the identity of specific Dinge.Tatoeba #6624991 by Felixjp, translation #2646229 by CK
- Tom hat Dinge zu tun.Tom has things to do.This sentence is useful for stating that someone has Dinge to perform.Tatoeba #6625537 by Felixjp, translation #4888465 by CK
- Ich mag solche Dinge.I like to do things like that.This sentence is useful for expressing a preference for certain types of Dinge.Tatoeba #6625933 by Felixjp, translation #5858865 by CK
- 705 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lukas and Sarah are cleaning a room together.
- LukasWas machen wir mit diesen alten Dingen?What are we doing with these old things?
- SarahWir können die Dinge einfach wegwerfen.We can just throw the things away.
- LukasSind das wirklich nur unnütze Dinge?Are those really just useless things?
- SarahJa, wir brauchen diese Dinge nicht mehr.Yes, we don't need these things anymore.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
