toy
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toy
An object made especially for children to play with; a toy. The term is often used in the plural.
Nach dem Spielen müssen alle Spielsachen wieder in die Kiste geräumt werden.
After playing, all the toys have to be put back in the box.
The word is made up of 'Spiel' (game/play, from spielen) and 'Sache' (thing), connected by an 's'. So it literally means a 'thing for playing'.
Dieses alte Holzauto ist eine ganz besondere Spielsache für mich.
This old wooden car is a very special toy to me.
Very often, the word is used in the plural, 'Spielsachen' (toys), as a collective term for all of a child's toys. You hear it especially often in connection with tidying up.
Bitte räum deine Spielsachen auf, bevor du ins Bett gehst.
Please tidy up your toys before you go to bed.
The term 'Spielsache' (toy) is often used by adults (parents, educators) when speaking with children. Because of this, it can sound somewhat more educational or formal.
Wir teilen die Spielsachen gerecht unter allen Kindern auf.
We divide the toys fairly among all the children.
game / play
'das Spiel' and 'die Spielsache' both belong to the area of play, but they do not mean the same thing. 'das Spiel' is the activity, that is, what you do, often with rules. 'die Spielsache' is an object used for playing, especially by children. Learners may confuse the words because both have to do with playing. A simple guide is: you can play a 'Spiel'; you can touch, buy, or put away a 'Spielsache'.
Im Kinderzimmer liegen überall Spielsachen auf dem Boden.
There are toys lying all over the floor in the children's room.
Das Spiel dauert nur zehn Minuten und macht trotzdem viel Spaß.
The game only lasts ten minutes and is still a lot of fun.