der Ton
Translation
sound, tone, clay, shade
Examples
Der Ton der Geige ist schön.
The sound of the violin is beautiful.
Aus Ton kann man Töpfe machen.
You can make pots from clay.
Das Bild hat einen warmen Ton.
The picture has a warm tone.
Grammar Patterns
((der Ton)) as subject The sound is beautiful. Der Ton ist schön.
((aus+3)) made of/from The pot is made of clay. Der Topf ist aus Ton.
((et4)) as accusative object He hit the right note. Er hat den richtigen Ton getroffen.
Similar Words
Synonyms: Klang, Geräusch (sound); Lehm (clay); Farbton (shade)
Etymology
It has two separate origins: Latin 'tonus' for the 'sound' meaning, and Old High German 'thon' for the 'clay' meaning.
Memory Tips
For sound, it's just like 'tone'. For clay, imagine throwing a 'ton' of clay on a potter's wheel.