Re: Choose: "das Denken" or "der Gedanke"?

 [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Val?rie R.) writes:
|>..
|> Last year I learnt that there is the possibity in German to transform
|> a verb into a name. The explainations given to me was: "you add a
|> capital at the beginning of the name and you give it the definite
|> article "das", that's all!" For instance the verb "nähen"(to sew) can
|> become the name "das Nähen"(the sewing). At first sight it seems very
|> simple but not for me, that's why I would be grateful to have more
|> information about this technic:
|> - is it possible with all the verbs?
|> - can I use this technic in a translation even if there is already an
|> another name? For instance can I use "das Denken" instead of "der
|> Gedanke"(the thought)?
|> - If the two names exist, are they exactly synonymous for a
|> translation?

There is "das Denken" (the act of delibration, of thinking, including
the common belief or judgment of people),
"der Gedanke" (the thought, maybe of the sudden or dreaming kind)
and "das Gedenken" (the memorial, the remembrance).

"Naehen" (to sew), "das Naehen" (the action) and "der Naeher"
or "die Naeherin" (the male/female capable of or actually sewing).

Things get complicated if the action of the verb is not related
to a simple "tool" or "purpose". In the case of the "Gedanke",
there is some (virtual) substance and someone to create
this substance (der Denker, the thoughtful mind); therefore
there are more gray scales of interpretation and the
"Substantivierung" (generation of the noun from the verb)
may not be fully equivalent to the verb.