die Zelle
cell
The smallest living unit of an organism. All living beings, from plants to animals to humans, consist of cells.
EXAMPLE
Der menschliche Körper besteht aus Milliarden von Zellen.
The human body consists of billions of cells.
die Zelle
cell
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Meanings
die Zelle
cell
A small, lockable room in a prison or police station where a prisoner is held.
EXAMPLE
Der Häftling verbrachte die Nacht in einer kalten Zelle.
The prisoner spent the night in a cold cell.
die Zelle
cell
A small, often secret group of people who work together within a larger organization, especially for political or terrorist purposes.
EXAMPLE
Die Polizei hat eine Terror-Zelle ausgehoben.
The police uncovered a terrorist cell.
die Zelle
cell
A single field in a spreadsheet that is created by the intersection of a row and a column.
EXAMPLE
Tragen Sie den Wert bitte in die Zelle B5 ein.
Please enter the value in cell B5.
die Zelle
cell
A small, simple room for a monk or nun in a monastery or convent.
EXAMPLE
Der Mönch zog sich zum Gebet in seine Zelle zurück.
The monk withdrew to his cell for prayer.
Usage tips
A shared root
The word 'Zelle' (cell) comes from the Latin 'cella', meaning 'small chamber' or 'enclosed space'. This basic idea connects the different meanings: a small room in a prison, the smallest unit in the body, or a field in a spreadsheet.
EXAMPLE
Ob im Kloster oder im Körper, eine Zelle ist immer eine kleine, grundlegende Einheit.
Whether in a monastery or in the body, a cell is always a small, basic unit.
Context clues
You can easily recognize the meaning of 'Zelle' (cell) from the context. Words like 'Körper' (body) or 'Biologie' (biology) point to the biological unit, 'Gefängnis' (prison) or 'Häftling' (prisoner) to the room, and 'Tabelle' (table/spreadsheet) or 'Excel' to the field in a spreadsheet.
EXAMPLE
Die Polizei überwachte die verdächtige Zelle seit Wochen.
The police had been monitoring the suspicious cell for weeks.
Biological context
In biology, 'Zelle' (cell) is often combined with specific types. Common examples are 'Nervenzelle' (nerve cell), 'Stammzelle' (stem cell), 'Krebszelle' (cancer cell), or 'Blutzelle' (blood cell).
EXAMPLE
Stammzellen haben die Fähigkeit, sich in verschiedene Zelltypen zu entwickeln.
Stem cells have the ability to develop into different cell types.
In prison
In connection with prisons, 'Zelle' (cell) is often used with verbs such as 'sitzen' (to sit/be imprisoned), 'einsperren' (to lock up), or 'verbringen' (to spend). A common fixed expression is 'in einer Einzelzelle sitzen' (to be in a solitary cell).
EXAMPLE
Der Gefangene wurde in eine Hochsicherheitszelle verlegt.
The prisoner was moved to a high-security cell.
Political groups
When 'Zelle' (cell) describes a secret group, typical verbs are 'eine Zelle bilden' (to form a cell) or 'eine Zelle ausheben' (to uncover/bust a cell). The word is often specified by adjectives such as 'terroristisch' (terrorist) or 'konspirativ' (conspiratorial).
EXAMPLE
Den Ermittlern gelang es, die Zelle zu zerschlagen.
The investigators managed to break up the cell.
In the spreadsheet
In spreadsheets, a cell is identified by the combination of a column letter and a row number. Typical verbs are 'eine Zelle markieren' (to select a cell), 'etwas in eine Zelle eingeben' (to enter something into a cell), or 'den Wert einer Zelle berechnen' (to calculate the value of a cell).
EXAMPLE
Die Summe wird automatisch in Zelle D10 angezeigt.
The sum is displayed automatically in cell D10.
Compare with
Zelle vs Feld
field
Feld is the general term for a designated area for specific information, for example in a form or data table. In a spreadsheet, Zelle is more precise: it is created at the intersection of a row and a column. Zelle is therefore the appropriate term for a specific position such as B2.
Zelle
In der Tabellenkalkulation steht die Kundennummer in der Zelle B2.
The customer number is in cell B2 in the spreadsheet.
Feld
In der Datentabelle ist ein Feld für die Kundennummer vorgesehen.
The data table has a field for the customer number.
In real life
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