01
die Tochter
daughter
A female child in relation to her parents.
example
Unsere Tochter studiert Medizin in Berlin.
Our daughter is studying medicine in Berlin.
die Tochter
daughter
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
01 / 02
Usage tips
Context clue
Context reveals whether a person or a company is meant. If it is about a family, it means a female child. In a business context, it means a dependent company.
EXAMPLE
Die Tochter von Herrn und Frau Meier ist Ärztin.
The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Meier is a doctor.
Family metaphor
The business meaning is a metaphor. The controlling company is called 'Muttergesellschaft' (parent company) or 'Mutterkonzern' (parent corporation), and the dependent company is the 'Tochter' (subsidiary).
EXAMPLE
Die Muttergesellschaft hat ihren Sitz in Frankreich, die Tochter ist in Deutschland.
The parent company is based in France; the subsidiary is in Germany.
Register
The use of 'Tochter' (subsidiary) for a company is typical of business and financial language. This meaning is very common in newspaper articles about companies or in business reports.
EXAMPLE
Der Konzern plant, seine umsatzstärkste Tochter an die Börse zu bringen.
The corporation plans to take its highest-revenue subsidiary public.
Compare with
Tochter vs Kind
child
'Kind' and 'Tochter' can both refer to a person in a family. 'Kind' is more general: it can be the son or the daughter, and it can also simply mean a young person. 'Tochter' is more specific and means a female child in relation to her parents. Learners may confuse the words because a daughter is also her parents' child. If gender or the family relationship is important, you say 'Tochter'; otherwise, 'Kind' is more neutral.
Tochter
Im Park übt sie mit ihrer Tochter für die Schule.
In the park, she practices with her daughter for school.
Kind
Beim Arzt zeigt sie die Karte ihres Kindes vor.
At the doctor's office, she shows her child's card.
In real life
Loading video examples...