hint / wave
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hint
An indirect, often subtle hint or sign with which someone wants to suggest something or make something understood.
Er gab mir den Wink, dass ich das Thema besser nicht ansprechen sollte.
He gave me the hint that I had better not bring up the topic.
wave
A brief movement of the hand to greet someone, attract attention, or give an instruction.
Mit einem kurzen Wink verabschiedete er sich und ging.
With a brief wave, he said goodbye and left.
The noun 'der Wink' is derived directly from the verb 'winken' (to wave). This connection helps you remember both meanings: the gesture of waving and the figurative 'Wink' (hint).
Sie winkte mir zum Abschied.
She waved to me goodbye.
The concrete meaning (hand movement) is often accompanied by words like 'Hand' (hand) or verbs of movement. The abstract meaning (hint) often appears with verbs like 'geben' (to give), 'bekommen' (to get), or 'verstehen' (to understand).
Er rief den Kellner mit einem Wink seiner Hand herbei.
He called the waiter over with a wave of his hand.
A very common idiom is 'ein Wink mit dem Zaunpfahl' (a very obvious hint; literally: a hint with a fence post). It describes an extremely clear hint that is hard to miss.
Sie sagte, sie friere – das war ein klarer Wink mit dem Zaunpfahl, die Heizung anzumachen.
She said she was freezing—that was a clear, very obvious hint to turn on the heating.
To explain the content of a hint, a subordinate clause with 'dass' (that) or an infinitive construction with 'zu' (to) is often used. The pattern is: 'der Wink, dass ...' (the hint that ...) or 'der Wink, etwas zu tun' (the hint to do something).
Das war der Wink, dass wir gehen sollten.
That was the hint that we should leave.
sign / symbol
Das Zeichen is a general nonverbal message and can be given through various gestures or signals. Der Wink is more specifically a brief movement of the hand. Both are possible for such a hand movement, but Wink describes its form more precisely.
Sie gab mir mit der Hand einen kurzen Wink, näher zu kommen.
She gave me a brief wave to come closer.
Sie gab mir mit der Hand ein Zeichen, näher zu kommen.
She gave me a hand signal to come closer.
