01
der Knochen
bone
One of the hard parts that make up the skeleton of humans and vertebrates.
example
Er hat sich beim Fußballspielen einen Knochen gebrochen.
He broke a bone while playing soccer.
der Knochen
bone
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
01 / 03
Usage tips
Typical collocation
A very common and fixed collocation is 'sich einen Knochen brechen' (to break a bone). This is the everyday way to talk about a bone fracture.
EXAMPLE
Sei vorsichtig auf dem Eis, damit du dir keinen Knochen brichst!
Be careful on the ice so you don't break a bone!
Colloquial expression
The idiom 'nass bis auf die Knochen sein' (to be soaked to the bone) means that someone is completely drenched, for example after heavy rain.
EXAMPLE
Wir sind ohne Schirm in einen Gewitterschauer geraten und waren nass bis auf die Knochen.
We got caught in a thunderstorm without an umbrella and were soaked to the bone.
Context clue
Whether it means part of the skeleton or food for animals becomes clear from context. With injuries or in a medical context, it refers to the skeleton; with dogs or when cooking soup, it refers to an animal bone.
EXAMPLE
Das Röntgenbild zeigte, dass der Knochen nicht gebrochen ist.
The X-ray showed that the bone is not broken.
Fixed expression
The colloquial expression 'ein harter Knochen' (a tough nut / a tough customer) can refer both to a very difficult task and to a resilient, unyielding person.
EXAMPLE
Die Verhandlung mit dem Kunden war ein harter Knochen.
The negotiation with the client was a tough nut to crack.
Compare with
Knochen vs Zahn
tooth
'der Zahn' and 'der Knochen' are both hard parts of the body. Even so, they are not used in the same way. A 'Zahn' sits in the jaw and is used for biting and chewing. A 'Knochen' belongs to the skeleton, for example in the arm, leg, or back. Learners may confuse the words because teeth are very hard and seem bone-like. In German, however, you normally do not say that a person has 'Knochen im Mund' ('bones in the mouth'). For the mouth and chewing, 'Zahn' is the correct word; for the skeleton, use 'Knochen'.
Knochen
Nach dem Sturz hat die Ärztin den Knochen im Arm untersucht.
After the fall, the doctor examined the bone in his arm.
Zahn
Seit gestern tut mir ein Zahn weh.
One of my teeth has been hurting since yesterday.
In real life
Loading video examples...