noun
characteristic, license plate
B1
Kennzeichen: chiefly 'characteristic' (feature) and 'license plate' (vehicle registration). Noun: neuter (das Kennzeichen). Plural identical: Kennzeichen. Declension regular (des Kennzeichens, den Kennzeichen). Can mean distinguishing mark or car plate; context decides meaning. Often used in legal or technical contexts.
VOCABULARY.DETAILS.EXAMPLES
Ein wichtiges Kennzeichen dieser Art ist die rote Blüte.
An important characteristic of this species is the red flower.
Das Kennzeichen des Autos war mir unbekannt.
The car's license plate was unfamiliar to me.
Die Polizei stoppte das Auto, weil sie Staub auf dem Kennzeichen entdeckte.
The police stopped the car because they discovered dust on the license plate.
VOCABULARY.DETAILS.DETAILS_LABEL
VOCABULARY.DETAILS.MNEMONICS
Imagine a sign or plate with numbers — that image covers both 'feature' and 'license plate'.
Sounds like 'ken' + 'sign' (Kennzeichen ~ 'known sign').
Das = neuter; picture the plate as an object ('das Kennzeichen').
VOCABULARY.DETAILS.NOTES
Kennzeichen can mean a distinguishing feature or, in everyday contexts, a vehicle's license plate (number plate). Context determines meaning.