taub
deaf
Unable to hear, or able to hear only very poorly; deaf.
EXAMPLE
Seit dem Unfall ist er auf dem linken Ohr taub.
Since the accident, he has been deaf in his left ear.
taub
deaf / numb
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Meanings
taub
numb
A body part that no longer has feeling, often because of cold, pressure, or anesthesia. This is called a feeling of numbness.
EXAMPLE
Nach der Zahnarzt-Spritze war meine halbe Wange taub.
After the dentist's injection, half of my cheek was numb.
taub
deaf to
Figuratively, unreceptive or indifferent to requests, warnings, or arguments.
EXAMPLE
Sie blieb taub für all seine Entschuldigungen.
She remained deaf to all his apologies.
taub
empty
Refers to nuts or grains that have no kernel or content and are therefore empty.
EXAMPLE
Viele der Walnüsse, die wir gesammelt haben, waren leider taub.
Unfortunately, many of the walnuts we collected were empty.
Usage tips
Sentence structure: ear
When 'taub' (deaf) is used in the sense of 'gehörlos' (deaf), people often specify which ear is affected. The typical phrasing is 'auf dem linken/rechten Ohr taub sein' (to be deaf in the left/right ear).
EXAMPLE
Mein Großvater ist auf dem rechten Ohr schon etwas taub.
My grandfather is already somewhat deaf in his right ear.
Typical collocations
In the meaning 'gefühllos' (numb), 'taub' (numb) usually refers to body parts. Common combinations are 'taube Finger' (numb fingers), 'taube Zehen' (numb toes), or 'ein taubes Bein' (a numb leg). The cause is also often given with 'vor' + dative.
EXAMPLE
Meine Finger waren nach dem Schneemannbauen taub vor Kälte.
My fingers were numb from the cold after building the snowman.
Fixed preposition
In the figurative meaning 'unempfänglich' (unreceptive), 'taub' (deaf) is used with the preposition 'für' (+ accusative) or 'gegenüber' (+ dative). It describes that a person does not react to something.
EXAMPLE
Er war taub für unsere Ratschläge und machte den gleichen Fehler noch einmal.
He was deaf to our advice and made the same mistake again.
Context clue: nature
This special meaning is used almost exclusively for nuts, seeds, or grains. A 'taube Nuss' (empty nut) is a nutshell without a kernel.
EXAMPLE
Die Ernte war schlecht, denn viele Getreidekörner waren taub.
The harvest was poor because many grains were empty.
Compare with
taub vs stumm
mute / silent
Stumm and taub can both describe a person who is unable to communicate. Stumm refers to the lack of speech, while taub refers to the lack of hearing or severely impaired hearing. Use „stumm“ when the person cannot speak or is not speaking, and „taub“ when hearing ability is meant.
taub
Seit dem Unfall war der Mann taub und hörte die Fragen des Arztes nicht.
The man had been deaf since the accident and could not hear the doctor's questions.
stumm
Seit dem Schock war der Mann stumm und konnte dem Arzt nicht antworten.
The man had been unable to speak since the shock and could not answer the doctor.
In real life
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