zahnlos
toothless
Having no teeth.
EXAMPLE
Der alte Hund ist inzwischen zahnlos.
The old dog is toothless by now.
zahnlos
toothless
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Meanings
zahnlos
toothless
Lacking effectiveness, influence, or the ability to put someone under serious pressure.
EXAMPLE
Die neuen Regeln sind zahnlos und werden kaum etwas verändern.
The new rules are toothless and will hardly change anything.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry zahnlos, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
Comparison
| basic form | zahnlos |
|---|
After der, die, das
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -e | -e | -e | -en |
| acc. | -en | -e | -e | -en |
| dat. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
| gen. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
Add the ending to zahnlos.
After ein, eine
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -er | -e | -es | -en |
| acc. | -en | -e | -es | -en |
| dat. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
| gen. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
Add the ending to zahnlos.
Without article
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -er | -e | -es | -e |
| acc. | -en | -e | -es | -e |
| dat. | -em | -er | -em | -en |
| gen. | -en | -er | -en | -er |
Add the ending to zahnlos.
Usage tips
Word formation
'Zahnlos' (toothless) is made up of 'Zahn' (tooth) and '-los' (-less). The ending '-los' means that something is missing: literally, 'zahnlos' means 'without teeth'.
EXAMPLE
Das zahnlose Tier kann nur noch weiche Nahrung fressen.
The toothless animal can now only eat soft food.
Typical sentence structure
For the physical meaning, 'zahnlos' (toothless) often comes after verbs such as 'sein' (to be), 'werden' (to become), or 'bleiben' (to remain). The subject or point of reference is often a person or animal.
EXAMPLE
Nach der Krankheit ist die Katze fast vollständig zahnlos geworden.
After the illness, the cat became almost completely toothless.
Figurative use
When used with rules, laws, measures, or criticism, 'zahnlos' (toothless) describes a figurative lack of effectiveness and enforcement power. In this usage, it is not about actual teeth.
EXAMPLE
Die zahnlosen Maßnahmen konnten den Betrug nicht verhindern.
The toothless measures could not prevent the fraud.
Political context
The figurative meaning is especially common in political, journalistic, and public discussions. Typical collocations include 'zahnlose Regeln' (toothless rules), 'zahnlose Gesetze' (toothless laws), and 'zahnlose Maßnahmen' (toothless measures).
EXAMPLE
Viele Bürger halten die zahnlosen Gesetze für reine Symbolpolitik.
Many citizens consider the toothless laws mere symbolic politics.
In real life
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