01
die Zehe
toe
One of the five movable parts at the front end of the foot in humans and many animals.
example
Ich habe mir die kleine Zehe am Tischbein gestoßen.
I stubbed my little toe on the table leg.
die Zehe
toe / clove
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Context clue
The meaning is immediately recognizable from context. If people are talking about the body, feet, or pain, the part of the foot is meant. If people are talking about cooking, recipes, or garlic, the piece of garlic is meant.
EXAMPLE
Aua, ich habe mir den großen Zeh an der Tür gestoßen!
Ouch, I stubbed my big toe on the door!
Fixed expression
The expression 'auf Zehenspitzen gehen' (to walk on tiptoe) means to walk very quietly so as not to make any noise. It is often used figuratively for acting cautiously.
EXAMPLE
Sie ging auf Zehenspitzen aus dem Zimmer, um das Baby nicht aufzuwecken.
She walked out of the room on tiptoe so as not to wake the baby.
Word composition
In a cooking context, 'Zehe' (clove) is almost always a shortened form of 'Knoblauchzehe' (clove of garlic). You can also say 'eine Zehe Knoblauch' (a clove of garlic) to make it completely clear.
EXAMPLE
Kannst du bitte eine Knoblauchzehe für die Tomatensoße pressen?
Could you please press a clove of garlic for the tomato sauce?
Compare with
Zehe vs Finger
finger
'der Finger' and 'die Zehe' can be confused because both are small movable body parts. The important difference is simple: fingers are on the hand, toes are on the foot. 'die Zehe' can also mean a piece of garlic in the kitchen, for example 'eine Zehe Knoblauch' (a clove of garlic). In a sentence about the body, however, 'Zehe' is the word for a toe. Memory tip: hand = Finger, foot = Zehe.
Zehe
Für die Soße braucht Lisa eine Zehe Knoblauch.
Lisa needs a clove of garlic for the sauce.
Finger
Am Morgen sind meine Finger kalt, wenn ich ohne Handschuhe zur Arbeit gehe.
In the morning, my fingers are cold when I go to work without gloves.
In real life
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