tooth
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tooth
One of the hard, bone-like structures in the jaw of humans and vertebrates that is used for biting and chewing.
Ich muss zum Zahnarzt, weil mir ein Zahn wehtut.
I have to go to the dentist because one of my teeth hurts.
'Zahn' (tooth) is a very productive base word in German. Many compound nouns related to teeth are formed with it, for example 'Zahnschmerzen' (toothache), 'Zahnarzt' (dentist), 'Zahnpasta' (toothpaste), or 'Zahnlücke' (gap between teeth).
Bei Zahnschmerzen sollte man schnell einen Termin beim Zahnarzt machen.
If you have a toothache, you should quickly make an appointment with the dentist.
In connection with the body part 'Zahn' (tooth), there are fixed verb combinations. You say 'sich die Zähne putzen' (to brush one's teeth), 'einen Zahn ziehen lassen' (to have a tooth pulled), or 'einen Zahn verlieren' (to lose a tooth).
Kinder sollten lernen, sich morgens und abends die Zähne zu putzen.
Children should learn to brush their teeth in the morning and evening.
The meaning 'Zacken' (tooth / prong) can be recognized from context. When the text refers to machines, tools, or devices such as a 'Zahnrad' (gear wheel), a 'Säge' (saw), or a 'Kamm' (comb), it does not mean the tooth in the mouth.
Die Kette ist vom Zahnrad gesprungen.
The chain has jumped off the gear wheel.
The idiom 'jemandem auf den Zahn fühlen' means to question a person closely. The person being questioned is always in the dative.
Die Journalistin wollte dem Politiker mit ihren Fragen auf den Zahn fühlen.
The journalist wanted to grill the politician with her questions.
The colloquial idiom 'einen Zahn zulegen' is a request to hurry up or work faster. It is used as a fixed unit.
Wenn wir pünktlich sein wollen, müssen wir jetzt einen Zahn zulegen.
If we want to be on time, we need to pick up the pace now.
'Der Zahn der Zeit' is a metaphor for the natural decay of things over a long period of time. This expression is often combined with the verb 'nagen' (to gnaw): 'Der Zahn der Zeit nagt an etwas (Dativ)' (the ravages of time gnaw away at something).
Man sieht, wie der Zahn der Zeit an der alten Fassade genagt hat.
You can see how the ravages of time have gnawed away at the old facade.
bone
'der Zahn' and 'der Knochen' are both hard parts of the body. Even so, they are not used in the same way. A 'Zahn' sits in the jaw and is used for biting and chewing. A 'Knochen' belongs to the skeleton, for example in the arm, leg, or back. Learners may confuse the words because teeth are very hard and seem bone-like. In German, however, you normally do not say that a person has 'Knochen im Mund' ('bones in the mouth'). For the mouth and chewing, 'Zahn' is the correct word; for the skeleton, use 'Knochen'.
Seit gestern tut mir ein Zahn weh.
One of my teeth has been hurting since yesterday.
Nach dem Sturz hat die Ärztin den Knochen im Arm untersucht.
After the fall, the doctor examined the bone in his arm.