die  Zunge

A1

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈtsʊŋə/

👅 What does "die Zunge" mean?

The word die Zunge has several meanings:

• Anatomy: The movable muscular organ in the mouth of humans and animals, used for tasting (schmecken), chewing (kauen), swallowing (schlucken), and speaking (sprechen). Example: Er hat sich auf die Zunge gebissen. (He bit his tongue.)
• Food: The tongue of certain animals (e.g., beef, veal - Rind, Kalb) used as food. Example: Gekochte Rinderzunge gilt als Delikatesse. (Boiled beef tongue is considered a delicacy.)
• Figurative (Shape): An elongated, often movable part of certain objects resembling a tongue.
  • The flap of a shoe under the lacing (die Lasche). Example: Die Zunge dieses Schuhs drückt. (The tongue of this shoe is pressing.)
  • The clapper of a bell (der Klöppel). Example: Die Zunge der Glocke schlug an. (The tongue of the bell struck.)
  • A narrow strip of land extending into water (die Landzunge - peninsula/spit). Example: Wir machten ein Picknick auf der Landzunge. (We had a picnic on the spit.)
• Figurative (Speech/Manner of Speaking): The ability to speak or a particular way of speaking. Often used in idioms (Redewendungen).
  • Eine spitze Zunge haben: to have a sharp tongue (be sarcastic or hurtful).
  • Eine lockere Zunge haben: to be talkative, sometimes indiscreet.
  • Sich die Zunge verbrennen: lit. 'to burn one's tongue', meaning to say something regrettable that causes trouble.
  • Etwas liegt mir auf der Zunge: It's on the tip of my tongue.

🚨 Important: The noun die Zunge is always feminine.

Article rules for der, die, and das

The Grammar of "Zunge" 🧐

The noun die Zunge is feminine (feminin). Here is its declension (Deklination):

Declension Singular

Declension Plural

Example Sentences (Beispielsätze)

1. Der Arzt untersuchte meine Zunge. (The doctor examined my tongue. - Accusative Singular)
2. Mit der Zunge schmecken wir süß, sauer, salzig und bitter. (With the tongue, we taste sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. - Dative Singular)
3. Die Form der Zunge des Schuhs ist ungewöhnlich. (The shape of the shoe's tongue is unusual. - Genitive Singular)
4. Katzen haben raue Zungen. (Cats have rough tongues. - Nominative Plural)
5. Pass auf deine Worte auf, manche Menschen haben spitze Zungen! (Watch your words, some people have sharp tongues! - Accusative Plural)

🗣️ How to Use "die Zunge"

• Everyday Life: When talking about the body part for tasting or speaking, 'die Zunge' is the word. "Zeig mal deine Zunge!" (Show your tongue!)
• Cooking: When referring to the dish, you also use 'die Zunge'. "Heute gibt es Zunge in Madeirasauce." (Today we're having tongue in Madeira sauce.)
• Objects: It's used for parts of shoes, bells, or landforms (Landzunge). The context makes the meaning clear. "Zieh die Zunge vom Schuh gerade." (Straighten the tongue of the shoe.)
• Idioms: 'Die Zunge' appears in many fixed expressions (Redewendungen), often related to speaking, secrets, or taste. It's important to learn these idiomatic meanings.
  • "Er musste sich auf die Zunge beißen, um nicht zu lachen." (He had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing. - i.e., restrain himself from saying something)
  • "Die Katze aus dem Sack lassen" (to let the cat out of the bag) is an idiom about revealing secrets, often contrasted with keeping something behind your tongue (figuratively).

⚠️ Don't confuse 'die Zunge' (tongue) with 'die Zange' (pliers/tongs).

💡 Mnemonics for "die Zunge"

For the article 'die': Many German nouns ending in -e are feminine (die Lampe, die Tasche, die Straße). Die Zunge follows this common pattern. Think: The tongue helps you speak Eloquently - E suggests feminine 'die'.

For the meaning: The English word "Tongue" sounds a bit like "Zunge". Imagine someone sticking out their tongue and making a "Zzzzz" sound like a bee (Summzeichen) attracted to something sweet on their Zunge.

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

Similar-Sounding Words:

• Die Zange (f): Pliers or tongs. Sounds similar, but means something completely different.
• Der Zwang (m): Compulsion, force, pressure.

😂 A Little Joke

Fragt der Arzt den Patienten: "Sagen Sie mal 'Aaaah' und strecken Sie die Zunge raus."
Patient: "Aaaah."
Arzt: "Noch weiter!"
Patient: "Aaaahhh!"
Arzt: "Noch ein kleines Stückchen weiter!"
Patient: "Aber Herr Doktor, ich kann meine Zunge doch nicht im Wartezimmer lassen!"

Translation:
The doctor asks the patient: "Say 'Aaaah' and stick out your tongue."
Patient: "Aaaah."
Doctor: "Further!"
Patient: "Aaaahhh!"
Doctor: "Just a little bit further!"
Patient: "But Doctor, I can't just leave my tongue in the waiting room!"

📜 Poem about the Tongue

Die Zunge, rot und flink,
schmeckt süßes und auch Zink.
Sie formt das Wort, den Laut,
hat manches schon erbaut,
doch manchmal, scharf und spitz,
verletzt sie wie ein Blitz.
Drum halt sie oft im Zaum,
erfüll des Mundes Raum
mit Freundlichkeit und Sinn,
dann liegt viel Gutes drin.

Translation:
The tongue, red and nimble, bright,
Tastes sweetness and zinc's light.
It forms the word, the sound,
Has built much all around,
But sometimes, sharp and keen,
It wounds just like lightning's sheen.
So keep it reined in tight,
Fill the mouth's space with light
Of kindness and of sense,
Then goodness lies immense.

❓ Riddle

Ich liege im Mund, doch hab kein Wort,
Ich schmecke Eis an einem heißen Ort.
Ich helf' beim Reden, Tag für Tag,
Und bin im Schuh, wenn ich's gern mag.

Was bin ich?

Translation:
I lie in the mouth, but have no word,
I taste ice cream, a treat preferred.
I help with speaking, every day,
And I'm in a shoe, if I like it that way.

What am I?

Answer: die Zunge (the tongue)

🤓 Trivia

• Etymology: The word "Zunge" comes from Old High German "zunga" and is related to words in many Germanic languages (cf. English "tongue", Dutch "tong").
• Word Formations (Wortbildungen): There are many compound words with "Zunge" in German, e.g., Zungenbrecher (tongue twister), Zungenkuss (French kiss), Zungenspitze (tip of the tongue), Landzunge (spit of land), Zungenfertigkeit (eloquence, volubility).
• Biology: The human tongue has thousands of taste buds (Geschmacksknospen). Contrary to older beliefs ('tongue map'), there are no fixed zones for specific tastes; all areas can perceive all basic tastes, albeit with varying sensitivity.