der Daumen
thumb
The first, shortest, and strongest finger of the human hand.
EXAMPLE
Er hat sich beim Hämmern auf den Daumen geschlagen.
He hit his thumb while hammering.
der Daumen
thumb
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Meanings
jemandem die Daumen drücken
to keep fingers crossed
To wish someone luck for an upcoming task or situation.
EXAMPLE
Ich drücke dir für deine Prüfung ganz fest die Daumen!
I'll be keeping my fingers crossed really hard for your exam!
über den Daumen peilen
to estimate roughly
To estimate something roughly and without exact measurement.
EXAMPLE
Über den Daumen gepeilt, wird die Renovierung etwa 10.000 Euro kosten.
Roughly estimated, the renovation will cost about 10,000 euros.
Usage tips
Fixed expression
The idiom 'jemandem die Daumen drücken' (to keep one's fingers crossed for someone) means to wish someone luck. The person you wish luck to is always in the dative.
EXAMPLE
Ich drücke dir für das Vorstellungsgespräch die Daumen.
I'll keep my fingers crossed for your job interview.
Using the expression
The expression 'über den Daumen peilen' (to estimate roughly) means to estimate something only roughly. The participle form 'über den Daumen gepeilt' (roughly estimated) is also often used at the beginning of a sentence.
EXAMPLE
Über den Daumen gepeilt, brauchen wir für die Fahrt zwei Stunden.
Roughly estimated, we'll need two hours for the drive.
Typical gesture
The gesture 'Daumen hoch' (thumbs up) is a very common positive signal in Germany. It means 'great', 'all right', or 'well done'.
EXAMPLE
Als ich fragte, ob alles okay sei, zeigte er mir nur den Daumen.
When I asked whether everything was okay, he just gave me a thumbs-up.
In real life
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