das  Aquarium

B1

Estimated CEFR level.

/akvaˈʁiʊm/

🐠 What does "das Aquarium" mean?

Das Aquarium (noun, neuter) primarily refers to two things:

1. A container: Usually a glass tank filled with water, where aquatic animals (especially fish) and plants are kept, often for display. You can find an Aquarium in homes, offices, or as part of exhibitions.
2. A building/institution: A public building or institution that displays a large collection of living aquatic animals and plants in multiple tanks. These serve educational, research, and entertainment purposes. Synonyms can be Zooaquarium or specific types like Seewasseraquarium (saltwater) / Süßwasseraquarium (freshwater).

There is only one article for this word: das, which makes things easier! ✅

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar in Detail: das Aquarium

The word "Aquarium" is a noun of neuter gender (sächlich). Therefore, it always takes the article das.

💡 Examples for Grammar

• Nominative: Das Aquarium steht im Wohnzimmer. (The aquarium is in the living room.)
• Genitive: Die Pumpe des Aquariums ist kaputt. (The aquarium's pump is broken.)
• Dative: Wir geben den Fischen in dem Aquarium Futter. (We feed the fish in the aquarium.)
• Accusative: Ich putze das Aquarium jede Woche. (I clean the aquarium every week.)
• Plural: Im Zoo gibt es viele große Aquarien. (There are many large aquariums in the zoo.)

🌐 How to use "das Aquarium"?

"Das Aquarium" is used when talking about the glass tank or the public building.

• At home: "Mein Sohn wünscht sich ein kleines Aquarium für sein Zimmer." (My son wants a small aquarium for his room.) Here, it means the container.
• Public places: "Am Wochenende besuchen wir das Aquarium in Berlin." (We are visiting the aquarium in Berlin on the weekend.) Here, it means the institution.
• Maintenance: "Die Pflege eines Aquariums erfordert Zeit und Wissen." (Maintaining an aquarium requires time and knowledge.)
• Distinction: A Terrarium is for land animals (reptiles, insects), an Aquarium is for aquatic animals. Don't mix them up! ⚠️

🧠 Mnemonics for "das Aquarium"

For the article "das": Think of das Wasser (water). Water often feels neutral, and "das" is the neuter article. Das Wasser belongs in das Aquarium.

For the meaning: The word comes from Latin "aqua" (water). An Aquarium is like a room (sounds similar) for water creatures. The ending "-arium" often means "place for something" (like Solarium, Terrarium).

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

🚨 Similar Words:

Sometimes "Aquarium" is confused with "Terrarium". Remember: Aqua = Water, Terra = Earth/Land.

😂 A Little Joke

Warum nehmen Fische nie den Bus?
Weil sie Angst vor dem Hai-Ticket haben! 😉

(Why do fish never take the bus? Because they're afraid of the 'shark ticket'!) (Note: This is a pun on 'Hai' (shark) sounding like 'High' as in high price, or maybe like 'Fahrschein', ticket. It's a fish-related joke, often found in an aquarium.)

✍️ Poem about the Aquarium

Im Glaskasten klar und rein,
schwimmt ein bunter Fischlein fein.
Blasen steigen, leise, sacht,
in des Aquariums Wasserpracht.
Pflanzen wiegen hin und her,
eine kleine Welt, nicht schwer.
Das Aquarium, still und schön,
lässt uns Wasserwunder sehn.

(In the glass case, clear and pure,
swims a colorful little fish, demure.
Bubbles rise, soft and slight,
in the aquarium's watery light.
Plants sway gently to and fro,
a small world, easy to know.
The aquarium, calm and grand,
lets us see wonders of water-land.)

🤔 Little Riddle

Ich habe Wände, doch kein Haus.
Ich bin voll Wasser, doch kein See daraus.
Fische schwimmen in mir froh,
manchmal steh' ich im Büro.

Was bin ich?

(I have walls, but no house.
I am full of water, but not a lake from it.
Fish swim happily inside me,
Sometimes I stand in an office.

What am I?)
(Solution: das Aquarium / the aquarium)

💡 Other Information

• Word Origin: The word "Aquarium" comes from the Latin word aqua meaning "water" and the suffix -arium, denoting a place or container for something.
• History: The first public aquariums emerged in the mid-19th century, for example, at the London Zoo (1853).
• Components: A typical Aquarium consists not only of the glass tank but also requires filters (Filter), heating (Heizung), lighting (Beleuchtung), and substrate (Bodengrund).