dünn

Dünn is a German adjective meaning thin, slender, or not thick. It describes physical characteristics such as a thin slice of bread, a thin sheet of metal, or thin hair. Beyond geometry and texture, dünn can express scarcity or insufficiency, for example a dünne Suppe (watery soup), ein dünnes Budget (tight budget), or dünne Belege (weak evidence). The term also appears in phrases like dünn besiedelt, meaning sparsely populated.

Grammatically, dünn is declined like other adjectives. It can describe nouns in attributive position with appropriate endings: ein dünner Mann, eine dünne Haut, ein dünnes Seil. In predicative use, one can say Der Faden ist dünn. The comparative form is dünner and the superlative am dünnsten. When used as a prefix in compound words, it often retains the sense of low density or small width (for example dünnplatten, dünnblech).

Etymology and cognates: Dünn originates from Old High German dünn, with Proto-Germanic roots. It is cognate with Dutch dun and English thin, reflecting a shared Germanic heritage for the idea of low thickness or narrow width.

Usage notes: In everyday language, dünn typically refers to physical thickness or density but can extend metaphorically to emphasis sparseness, weak justification, or small quantity. It should not be confused with synonyms such as schmal (narrow in width) or “schwach” (weak in strength or evidence), though overlap exists in figurative contexts.

In sum, dünn covers both literal thinness and figurative sparseness, and it forms a standard, versatile part of German vocabulary.