German · Body & Health

"Tongue" in German: Zunge

die Zunge

Say it: TSOONG-uhfeminine · die Zungenoun/ˈtsʊŋə/

Tongue in German is die Zunge, a feminine noun. The plural is die Zungen. A tongue twister is ein Zungenbrecher.

Hot food

Vorsicht—die Suppe verbrennt dir die Zunge!
Careful—the soup will burn your tongue!
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How to pronounce Zunge

Say it

TSOONG-uh

/ˈtsʊŋə/

TSOONG-uh. Initial z like ts. Soft final -e.

"Tongue" in German: quick reference

GermanEnglish
die Zungetongue

Body part.

die Zungentongues

Plural.

der Zungenbrechertongue twister

Language play.

auf der Zunge liegento be on the tip of the tongue

Idiom.

How to use Zunge in real life

  1. 1Hot food

    Vorsicht—die Suppe verbrennt dir die Zunge!

    Careful—the soup will burn your tongue!

    Die Zunge as object.

  2. 2Doctor

    Bitte die Zunge herausstrecken.

    Please stick out your tongue.

    Clinic phrase.

  3. 3Forgetting a word

    Der Name liegt mir auf der Zunge.

    The name is on the tip of my tongue.

    Fixed idiom with Zunge.

Mistakes English speakers make with Zunge

Incorrect: der Zunge

Correct: die Zunge

Zunge is feminine.

Incorrect: tongue twister: Zungebrecher

Correct: Zungenbrecher

Compound uses Zungen-.

Good to know

Auf der Zunge liegen is as common as the English tip-of-the-tongue feeling. Zunge can also mean a language metaphorically (Muttersprache is more usual though).

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

After spicy food

  1. ChatPal

    Brennt dir die Zunge?

    Is your tongue burning?

  2. You

    Ja! Die Zunge kribbelt total.

    Yes! My tongue is totally tingling.

  3. ChatPal

    Trink Milch—das hilft der Zunge.

    Drink milk—that helps the tongue.

  4. You

    Gute Idee. Meine Zunge braucht Pause.

    Good idea. My tongue needs a break.

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"Tongue" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Tongue" in German

What gender is Zunge?

Feminine: die Zunge.

How do you say tongue twister?

Der Zungenbrecher.

How do you say tip of the tongue?

Es liegt mir auf der Zunge.

What is the plural?

Die Zungen.

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