Zeug

See also: zeug

German

Alternative forms
  • Zeugs (chiefly informal and pejorative)

Etymology

From Middle High German ziuc (“stuff, gear”), from Old High German giziug, from Proto-Germanic *tiugiją (“stuff, gear, device”). Compare Dutch tuig (“tool, gear”), Old Norse tygi (“gear”). More at toy.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /t͡sɔʏ̯k/ (standard)
  • IPA(key): /t͡sɔʏ̯ç/ (in northern and central Germany; chiefly colloquial)
  • Audio(file)

Noun

Zeug n (genitive Zeuges or Zeugs, plural Zeuge)

  1. stuff, gear, equipment
  2. material
  3. fabric, clothing, clothes

Usage notes
  • The plural Zeuge is quite rare (except in compounds such as Fahrzeug). Generally, Zeug is treated as uncountable. An alternate obsolete plural is Zeuger.
  • Until the 19th century, Zeug was often treated as masculine by southern writers, except in the sense “fabric”, where the masculine was very rare. This usage is now obsolete and Zeug is exclusively neuter in contemporary German.

Declension
Declension of Zeug
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative ein das Zeug die Zeuge
genitive eines des Zeuges,
Zeugs		 der Zeuge
dative einem dem Zeug,
Zeuge1		 den Zeugen
accusative ein das Zeug die Zeuge
1Now uncommon, see notes

See also

Further reading
  • Zeug in Duden online
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