das  Abbild

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈapˌbɪlt/

🖼️ What exactly is 'das Abbild'?

The German noun das Abbild (neuter) refers to an image, likeness, copy, representation, or reflection of something or someone. It can refer to a concrete image (like a photo or painting) or a more abstract concept (like the reflection of characteristics).

• Concrete meaning: A visual representation, often a copy or portrait. Example: "Dieses Gemälde ist ein treues Abbild des Königs." (This painting is a faithful likeness of the king.)
• Abstract meaning: An embodiment or reflection of features or ideas. Example: "Sie ist das Abbild ihrer Mutter." (She is the image/spitting image of her mother.) - referring to similarity in character or appearance.
• Philosophical/Technical meaning: A representation within a system or model. Example: "Die Daten stellen ein digitales Abbild der Realität dar." (The data represents a digital image/model of reality.)

It always uses the article das.

🧐 Grammar Deep Dive: das Abbild

Das Abbild is a neuter noun. Here are the declension tables:

Example Sentences

• Das Foto ist ein genaues Abbild der Landschaft.
  (The photo is an exact image of the landscape.)
• Die Qualität des Abbildes ist beeindruckend.
  (The quality of the image is impressive.)
• Er fügte dem Abbild noch einige Details hinzu.
  (He added some details to the image.)
• Sie betrachtet das Abbild im Spiegel.
  (She looks at the reflection/image in the mirror.)
• Die Museen zeigen viele Abbilder berühmter Persönlichkeiten.
  (The museums show many images/likenesses of famous personalities.)
• Die Echtheit der Abbilder wurde überprüft.
  (The authenticity of the images was checked.)
• Wir lernen aus den Abbildern der Vergangenheit.
  (We learn from the images/representations of the past.)

💡 How to Use "das Abbild"?

Das Abbild is used to describe a likeness or representation. It often emphasizes faithfulness to the original or its function as a proxy.

• In Art and Photography: Very common for describing portraits, sculptures, or photographs depicting someone or something. "Das Museum stellt Abbilder aus verschiedenen Epochen aus." (The museum exhibits images/likenesses from different eras.)
• Figuratively: To describe strong similarity (appearance, character). "Er ist das reinste Abbild seines Vaters." (He is the spitting image of his father.)
• In Philosophy and Theory: To discuss the relationship between reality and representation. "Ist die Sprache ein Abbild der Wirklichkeit?" (Is language a reflection/representation of reality?)
• Technology/Mathematics: In the sense of a mapping or representation of data or structures. "Die Funktion erzeugt ein Abbild der Eingabewerte." (The function generates a mapping/representation of the input values.)

Difference from "Bild": While das Bild is a more general term for any kind of visual representation, das Abbild often implies a stronger connection to the original, a copy, or a deliberate representation.

🧠 Mnemonics for "das Abbild"

For the Article (das): Remember that das Abbild is closely related to das Bild (picture, image). Both are neuter (sächlich). If you know it's das Bild, you also know it's das Abbild.

For the Meaning (likeness/representation): Think of taking a picture (*Bild*) of something. You take it *off* the original (the prefix *ab-* often means 'off' or 'from'). So, an Ab-bild is an image taken *from* the original – a likeness or copy.

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

⚠️ Similar Words:

• Bild (das): More general term, can also be a mental image or idea. Abbild is more specific to representation.
• Abbildung (die): Often refers to illustrations in books or mathematical mappings/functions.

😂 A Little Joke

Warum hat der Maler sein eigenes Abbild gemalt und es dann weggeworfen?

Er fand, es war ihm nicht ähnlich genug – er hatte sich wohl selbst übertroffen! 😉

(Why did the painter paint his own likeness and then throw it away?)

(He thought it wasn't similar enough to him – he had probably outdone himself!) 😉

📜 A Poem about the Abbild

Im Spiegel siehst du dein Gesicht,
ein flüchtig Abbild, scheu und licht.
Auf Leinwand fängt der Maler ein,
ein treues Abbild, soll es sein.
Doch was wir sehen, ist nur Schein,
das wahre Selbst liegt tief allein.

(In the mirror, you see your face,
a fleeting image, shy and light's grace.
On canvas, the painter captures true,
a faithful likeness, meant for view.
But what we see is just a show,
the true self lies deep down below.)

🧩 Little Riddle

Ich zeige dir, was du schon kennst,
bin oft gemalt, doch nie begrenzt.
Ich bin nicht echt, doch wirke wahr,
bin eine Kopie, Jahr für Jahr.
Mal bin ich Mensch, mal Landschaftsbild,
stets eine Kopie, mal sanft, mal wild.

Was bin ich? (Lösung: das Abbild)

(I show you what you already know,
often painted, but boundaries don't grow.
I am not real, yet seem true,
a copy I am, year through year through.
Sometimes a person, sometimes a view,
always a copy, gentle or wild in hue.)

What am I? (Answer: das Abbild / the image/likeness)

✨ Further Details

Word Composition:

The word Abbild is a compound noun, composed of:

• Prefix ab-: here means something like 'from', 'after', 'derived from'.
• Root word Bild (das): picture, image, representation.

This composition highlights the idea that an Abbild is 'taken from' or derived from an original.

Trivia: The term plays a significant role in Plato's philosophy (Theory of Forms), where the sensory world is considered merely an Abbild (imperfect copy or image) of the eternal world of Forms (Ideas).