der Daumen
Translation
thumb
Examples
Er hat sich in den Daumen geschnitten.
He cut his thumb.
Ich drücke dir die Daumen!
I'm rooting for you! / Keeping my fingers crossed!
Grammar Patterns
j-m die Daumen drücken to root for ((sb.)) / wish ((sb.)) luck I'm rooting for you on the test.
et4 über den Daumen peilen to ballpark ((sth.)) / make a rough estimate I just ballparked the costs.
Similar Words
Related terms: Finger (finger), Hand (hand).
Etymology
From Old High German 'dūmo'. It's a cognate of the English word 'thumb'.
Memory Tips
A key phrase is 'Ich drücke dir die Daumen!', which means 'I'm rooting for you!'. Picture pressing your thumbs for good luck.