letter
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letter
A single written character of an alphabet that represents a sound or combination of sounds.
Das deutsche Alphabet hat 26 Buchstaben sowie die Umlaute und das ß.
The German alphabet has 26 letters as well as the umlauts and ß.
to the letter of the law
An idiom that means following the exact wording of a rule or law strictly, without considering the actual meaning or intention behind it.
Der Richter urteilte streng nach dem Buchstaben des Gesetzes, obwohl die Strafe unverhältnismäßig schien.
The judge ruled strictly according to the letter of the law, even though the punishment seemed disproportionate.
The word is made up of 'Buch' (book) and 'Stab' (staff, stick). Historically, written characters (runes) were carved into rods made of beechwood, hence the name 'Buchstabe' (letter).
Der Name beginnt mit dem Buchstaben M.
The name begins with the letter M.
'Der Buchstabe' (letter) belongs to the N-declension. This means it takes the ending '-n' in all cases except the nominative singular.
Ich kann den letzten Buchstaben des Wortes nicht lesen.
I can't read the last letter of the word.
Common and useful combinations are 'ein großer Buchstabe' (a capital letter) and 'ein kleiner Buchstabe' (a lowercase letter).
Bitte schreiben Sie Ihren Namen in großen Buchstaben.
Please write your name in capital letters.
The expression 'nach dem Buchstaben' (to the letter) is used almost only in connection with rules or laws. It expresses a very strict, literal interpretation.
Der Beamte handelte streng nach dem Buchstaben der Vorschrift.
The official acted strictly according to the letter of the regulation.
sign / symbol
Zeichen can refer to any individual element of a writing system, including digits and punctuation marks. Buchstabe, on the other hand, specifically refers to an individual character of the alphabet. Use Buchstabe for alphabetic characters and Zeichen when other symbols may also be included.
Geben Sie als Buchstaben bitte ein großes A ein.
Please enter a capital A as the letter.
Geben Sie als Zeichen bitte auch die Raute ein.
Please also enter the hash symbol as a character.
