zählen

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See also: zahlen and Zahlen

German

Etymology

From Middle High German zel(e)n, zellen, from Old High German zellan, from Proto-West Germanic *talljan, from Proto-Germanic *taljaną. The modern long vowel continues the 2nd and 3rd persons singular of the present (where West Germanic gemination did not occur); it was reinforced also by the lengthened vowel in Zahl (Middle High German zale).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈtsɛːlən/, , ,
  • Audio:(file)
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: zäh‧len

Verb

zählen (weak, third-person singular present zählt, past tense zählte, past participle gezählt, auxiliary haben)

  1. to count (to determine the number of objects in a group)
    Ich habe gerade gezählt, dass wir nur noch zwölf Tomaten haben.I have just counted and seen us to have only twelve tomatoes in total.
    Wie viele Flaschen zählst du? — Ich zähle dreizehn Flaschen.How many bottles do you count? — I count thirteen bottles.
    1. to count (to recite numbers in order)
      Unsere Tochter zählt schon.Our daughter is already counting.
      bis zehn zählento count to ten
    2. to have, comprise, span (some numerical value)
      Die Stadt zählt etwa 13.000 Einwohner.
      The town has approximately 13,000 inhabitants.
      Die Stadt zählt über 2.000 Jahre.
      The town is more than 2,000 years old.
  2. to reckon, to consider, to deem (later used in the active voice with a passive meaning)
    Der Wal wird nicht zu den Fischen gezählt.The whale is not considered a fish.
    Der Wal zählt nicht zu den Fischen.The whale is not to be considered a fish.
    Man zählt mich zu den Gegnern dieser Politik.One considers me an opponent of such politics.
    Ich zähle mich glücklich, dazuzugehören.I consider myself fortunate to be a part.
    • 2010, Der Spiegel, number 34/2010, page 131:
      Der Autosalon in Moskau zählt zu den internationalen Schaubühnen für Fahrzeuginteressierte mit unbegrenzten Ansprüchen.
      The motor show in Moskow is reckoned among the international stages for people interested in vehicles with unlimited demands
    1. to be of significance, to matter, to count
      Jede Stimme zählt.Every vote counts.
      Was zählt, ist dass du heil aus der Sache herauskommst.What is the most important is that you come out intact out of the affair.
  3. (archaic) to tell, to recount
    Synonym: (not archaic) erzählen
    • 2019, “Opa, ich vermisse dich”, in CaroSell (lyrics), Intolerance:
      Ihre Tränen sind nicht zu übersehen
      Wenn sie von Opa zählen
      Their tears are not miss
      When they tell about grandpa
  4. to count on, to rely on
    Synonyms: verlassen, rechnen
    Du kannst auf mich zählen!You can count on me!

Conjugation

Derived terms

Further reading