German Conversation · Level 39
73 words
German word
Ton
Pronunciation
IPA/toːn/
Meaning
- masculine nounsound
Example
Der Ton ist zu laut.
The sound is too loud.
More examples
Sein Ton war im Gespräch unangemessen.
His tone was inappropriate in the conversation.
Core concept
A bell produces a heard note and a potter works a lump of clay, two distinct scenes covered by the German word Ton.
Common phrases
guten Ton
polite tone
einen scharfen Ton
sharp tone
Similar words
Lautstärke: How loud or quiet a sound is.
Stimme: The human voice, including its distinctive quality.
Tonfall: Speech patterns that express a speaker's feelings or attitude.
Definition in German
Eine hörbare Schallerscheinung oder ein einzelner Klang bzw. eine wahrnehmbare Tonhöhe
Word origin
The sound sense of Ton comes through Old High German and Middle High German from Latin tonus, which derives from Greek tonos; the clay sense belongs to a separate homonym.
Usage tips
- For the sound sense, the plural is Töne; Tonne is a different noun meaning a metric ton or a barrel.