die Tonne
bin
A large container for waste, usually made of plastic or metal.
EXAMPLE
Kannst du bitte den Müll in die Tonne bringen?
Can you please take the rubbish to the bin?
die Tonne
bin / ton
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Meanings
die Tonne
ton
A unit of weight equal to 1,000 kilograms.
EXAMPLE
Der Elefant wiegt mehrere Tonnen.
The elephant weighs several tons.
die Tonne
barrel
A large, usually cylindrical barrel used to store liquids or other substances.
EXAMPLE
Im Garten steht eine große Tonne, um Regenwasser zu sammeln.
There is a large barrel in the garden for collecting rainwater.
in die Tonne treten
to throw in the bin
A colloquial expression meaning that something is useless and can be thrown away or discarded.
EXAMPLE
Der erste Entwurf war so schlecht, den konnten wir direkt in die Tonne treten.
The first draft was so bad that we could throw it straight in the bin.
die Tonne
buoy
In shipping, a buoy, meaning a floating marker in the water used to mark fairways or danger spots.
EXAMPLE
Der Kapitän navigierte das Schiff sicher an den roten Tonnen vorbei.
The captain navigated the ship safely past the red buoys.
Usage tips
Context clue
The meaning of 'Tonne' depends heavily on the context. Words like 'Müll' (rubbish/garbage) point to the waste container, numbers and 'wiegen' (to weigh) to the unit of weight, 'Regenwasser' (rainwater) to a barrel, and 'Schiff' (ship) to a nautical marker.
EXAMPLE
Der LKW transportiert zehn Tonnen Sand.
The truck is transporting ten tons of sand.
Types of rubbish bins
In everyday life in Germany, specific bins for separating waste are often mentioned. Typical ones are 'die Papiertonne' (paper bin), 'die Biotonne' (organic waste bin), and 'die Restmülltonne' (general waste bin).
EXAMPLE
Denk daran, morgen wird die Papiertonne geleert.
Remember, the paper bin will be emptied tomorrow.
Use as a unit of measurement
As a unit of measurement (1,000 kg), 'Tonne' often appears in the singular after a number, even though the plural would be correct. The phrase 'Tonnen von etwas' means colloquially 'a lot of something'.
EXAMPLE
Dieser Stein wiegt über eine Tonne.
This stone weighs over one ton.
Fixed expression
The expression 'etwas in die Tonne treten' (or 'klopfen', 'werfen') means that an idea, plan, or object is completely unusable and can be discarded.
EXAMPLE
Diese Idee ist so kompliziert, die kannst du in die Tonne treten.
This idea is so complicated that you can throw it in the bin.
Technical language: shipping
In the meaning 'Boje' (buoy), 'Tonne' is a technical term from shipping. You can recognize this meaning from words like 'Hafen' (harbor), 'Fahrwasser' (fairway/channel), 'navigieren' (to navigate), or 'Kapitän' (captain).
EXAMPLE
Das Schiff muss zwischen den grünen und roten Tonnen bleiben.
The ship must stay between the green and red buoys.
Compare with
Tonne vs Fass
barrel
Both words refer to large containers, including containers for liquids. “Das Fass” is especially suitable for a usually bulging container for wine, beer, or oil, while “die Tonne” generally refers to a large, cylindrical container for liquids or other substances. For oil, both words are possible depending on the container’s shape and purpose.
Tonne
Die Fabrik lagerte das Öl in einer großen Metalltonne.
The factory stored the oil in a large metal barrel.
Fass
Der Winzer füllte den neuen Wein in ein großes Holzfass.
The winemaker filled the new wine into a large wooden barrel.
In real life
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