das Teilchen
particle
A very small piece or tiny particle of something material.
EXAMPLE
Nach der Renovierung waren überall feine Staubteilchen in der Luft.
After the renovation, fine dust particles were everywhere in the air.
das Teilchen
particle
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Meanings
das Teilchen
particle
In physics, a term for subatomic particles such as electrons, protons, or quarks.
EXAMPLE
Im Teilchenbeschleuniger werden die Eigenschaften von Elementarteilchen erforscht.
In the particle accelerator, the properties of elementary particles are studied.
das Teilchen
particle
In linguistics, a word class for short, invariable words that modify a statement or express a certain attitude of the speaker (e.g., modal particles such as 'ja', 'denn', 'wohl').
EXAMPLE
Das Wort „halt“ ist in diesem Satz ein typisches deutsches Teilchen, das Resignation ausdrückt.
The word 'halt' is a typical German particle in this sentence that expresses resignation.
Usage tips
Word structure
The word is a diminutive form. It consists of 'der Teil' (part) and the ending '-chen', which marks something as small. All nouns with the ending '-chen' are neuter, hence 'das Teilchen' (particle).
EXAMPLE
Ein Sandkorn ist ein winziges Teilchen Gestein.
A grain of sand is a tiny particle of rock.
Context clue
You can recognize the meaning of 'Teilchen' (particle) from the context. In everyday language, they are small pieces ('Staubteilchen' (dust particles)); in physics, subatomic particles (electron); and in linguistics, short words (modal particles).
EXAMPLE
In der Physik untersucht man den Aufbau der Materie aus kleinsten Teilchen.
In physics, people study the structure of matter from the smallest particles.
Typical collocations
In general usage, 'Teilchen' (particle) is often combined with the material it consists of. Typical examples are 'Staubteilchen' (dust particles), 'Schmutzteilchen' (dirt particles), or 'Plastikteilchen' (plastic particles).
EXAMPLE
Man fand winzige Plastikteilchen im Wasser.
Tiny plastic particles were found in the water.
Technical language: physics
In physics, 'Teilchen' (particle) is a technical term. Common combinations are 'subatomare Teilchen' (subatomic particles), 'Elementarteilchen' (elementary particles), or 'der Teilchenbeschleuniger' (particle accelerator).
EXAMPLE
Neutrinos sind elektrisch neutrale Elementarteilchen mit sehr geringer Masse.
Neutrinos are electrically neutral elementary particles with very low mass.
Technical language: linguistics
In linguistics, 'Teilchen' (particle) is a technical term for a certain word class. People also speak of 'Modalpartikeln' (modal particles) or 'Abtönungspartikeln' (modal/flavoring particles).
EXAMPLE
Im Satz „Was machst du denn hier?“ ist „denn“ ein Teilchen, das Überraschung ausdrückt.
In the sentence 'Was machst du denn hier?' (What are you doing here?), 'denn' is a particle that expresses surprise.
Compare with
Teilchen vs Partikel
particle
Teilchen and Partikel can both refer to a very small unit of matter. Teilchen is more general and is also common in everyday situations. Partikel often sounds more technical or specialized, for example when small units of matter are measured or studied.
Teilchen
Im Sonnenlicht waren winzige Teilchen aus Staub zu sehen.
Tiny dust particles could be seen in the sunlight.
Partikel
Das Messgerät erfasst winzige Partikel aus Staub in der Luft.
The measuring device detects tiny dust particles in the air.
In real life
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