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Pfennig

pfennig (former German cent, 1/100 of a Deutsche Mark)

noun PFEN-ikh Rare
Numbers & Measures Money

Also means

very small amount of money (figurative)

Usage Note

Pfennig was the smallest unit of the Deutsche Mark (1/100 DM) until the euro replaced it in 2002. It survives in idioms like keinen Pfennig wert (not worth a penny) and auf den Pfennig genau (down to the last penny). Plural Pfennige.

Examples

"Das ist keinen Pfennig wert, sagte er."

Natural Translation

That's not worth a penny, he said.

Literal Translation

That is not a pfennig worth, he said.

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