Zeichens

Zeichens is a German form that most often appears in the context of the noun Zeichen, meaning sign or symbol. In modern usage, the most common appearance is in the genitive singular des Zeichens, a fixed expression used to indicate someone’s role or profession by way of a brief descriptor, rather than as a standalone term. The root Zeichen is widely used in linguistics, semiotics, and everyday language to denote signs, marks, or symbols.

In practice, des Zeichens functions as a parenthetical epithet that translates roughly to “by trade” or “the one, a ... by profession.” Examples include Der Mann, des Zeichens Rechtsanwalt, der heute spricht, meaning “The man, a lawyer by trade, who is speaking today,” and Die Autorin, des Zeichens Schriftstellerin, veröffentlichte ein neues Buch, meaning “The author, a writer by trade, published a new book.” The construction is formal and somewhat traditional; it appears more often in written journalism, literary narration, or bureaucratic language than in casual speech.

Outside of this fixed phrase, Zeichen remains the standard stem for “sign” or “symbol,” with die Zeichen as the plural and des Zeichens as the genitive singular. The form Zeichens itself is not generally treated as a separate concept in contemporary German beyond its role in that genitive construction. In broader contexts, Zeichen is central to discussions of signs and meaning in semiotics and philosophy.

See also: Zeichen, signs and symbols, semiotics, German grammar.