das
Brautpaar
💍 What Exactly is a Brautpaar?
The word das Brautpaar (noun, neuter) refers to a couple, consisting of a Braut (bride) and a Bräutigam (groom), on their wedding day or in the time immediately before and after. They are the two main individuals in a wedding ceremony.
There is only this one article for the word because it's a compound noun formed from die Braut (feminine) and der Bräutigam (masculine), but it's viewed as a single unit (das Paar, neuter). The article is determined by the base word Paar.
📜 Grammar Spotlight: Declining das Brautpaar
The noun „Brautpaar“ is neuter (sächlich) and takes the article „das“. It follows the regular declension pattern for neuter nouns.
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | das | Brautpaar |
| Genitive | des | Brautpaares / Brautpaars |
| Dative | dem | Brautpaar / Brautpaare |
| Accusative | das | Brautpaar |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Brautpaare |
| Genitive | der | Brautpaare |
| Dative | den | Brautpaaren |
| Accusative | die | Brautpaare |
Example Sentences:
- Das Brautpaar sah wunderschön aus.
(The bridal couple looked beautiful.) - Alle Augen waren auf das Brautpaar gerichtet.
(All eyes were on the bridal couple.) - Wir schenkten dem Brautpaar eine Reise.
(We gave the bridal couple a trip as a gift.) - Die Fotos des Brautpaares waren zauberhaft.
(The photos of the bridal couple were magical.) - Mehrere Brautpaare feierten gleichzeitig im Standesamt.
(Several bridal couples celebrated simultaneously at the registry office.)
💬 How to Use „Brautpaar“ Correctly
„Das Brautpaar“ is used exclusively in the context of weddings (Hochzeiten). It always refers to the combination of the bride (Braut) and groom (Bräutigam) as a unit.
- Typical Uses: Reporting on weddings, congratulations (Glückwünsche), gifts (Geschenke), planning wedding celebrations.
- Context: Festive, formal, or informal in private settings.
- Distinction: You talk about the Brautpaar on the wedding day. Before that, they are Verlobte (fiancés), and afterwards Ehepaar (married couple) or Eheleute (married couple/spouses).
- Common Collocations: das glückliche Brautpaar (the happy bridal couple), dem Brautpaar gratulieren (to congratulate the bridal couple), das Brautpaar tanzt (the bridal couple dances), Geschenke für das Brautpaar (gifts for the bridal couple).
🧠 Mnemonics for „das Brautpaar“
Article Mnemonic: Think of das Paar (the couple). A bridal couple is always 'ein Paar', and nouns ending in -paar referring to a unit of two people are often neuter in German → das Paar → das Brautpaar.
Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine the Braut (bride) brings a pair of doves to the wedding. Braut + Paar (pair/couple) = das Brautpaar, the main couple at the wedding.
↔️ Similar & Different: Synonyms and (No True) Antonyms
Synonyms (Words with similar meaning):
- Hochzeitspaar: Very common synonym, often interchangeable with Brautpaar. (Literally 'wedding couple')
- Neuvermählte: Refers to the couple shortly after getting married (newlyweds).
- (Colloquial/joking) Turteltauben: Turtledoves, used when they seem very much in love.
Antonyms (Opposites):
There isn't a direct antonym for „Brautpaar“. Depending on the context, you might consider terms describing an opposite status:
- Singles / Alleinstehende: Single people.
- Geschiedene / Geschiedenes Paar: Divorced people / divorced couple.
- Verwitwete: Widowed people.
⚠️ However, these are not true antonyms in the linguistic sense.
Confusing Words:
- Brautjungfern / Trauzeugen: Bridesmaids / witnesses or best men/maids of honor – people supporting the couple, not the couple itself.
- Ehepaar: Refers to the couple after the wedding, during married life.
😂 A Little Wedding Joke
Der Pfarrer fragt das Brautpaar: „Wollen Sie diesen Mann/diese Frau zum rechtmäßig angetrauten Ehepartner nehmen, in guten wie in schlechten Zeiten, in Gesundheit und Krankheit, bis dass der Tod euch scheidet?“
Beide gleichzeitig: „Mal sehen!“
Translation:
The priest asks the bridal couple: „Do you take this man/this woman to be your lawfully wedded spouse, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?“
Both simultaneously: „We'll see!“
✍️ A Poem for the Bridal Couple
Zwei Herzen schlagen nun im Takt,
das Brautpaar hat „Ja“ gesagt.
Ein Ring als Zeichen, hell und klar,
für Liebe, Glück, Jahr für Jahr.
Ein neuer Weg beginnt zu zweit,
voll Hoffnung und Gemeinsamkeit.
Translation:
Two hearts now beat in time,
the bridal couple has said „Yes“.
A ring as a sign, bright and clear,
for love, happiness, year after year.
A new path begins together,
full of hope and unity.
❓ Little Riddle
Ich bestehe aus zwei Personen, ganz offiziell,
an einem Tag steh'n wir im Mittelpunkt, sehr schnell.
Sie trägt oft Weiß, er einen Anzug fein,
wer sind wir, wenn Ringe getauscht werden – sag, wer mag das sein?
Translation:
I consist of two people, quite officially,
On one day, we are the center of attention, very quickly.
She often wears white, he a fine suit,
Who are we, when rings are exchanged – say, who might that be?
Solution: Das Brautpaar (The bridal couple)
🧩 More Tidbits
Word Composition:
The word „Brautpaar“ is a compound noun (Kompositum), composed of:
- die Braut: The bride (the woman on her wedding day).
- das Paar: The pair/couple (two people or things belonging together). The article „das“ from „Paar“ determines the article of the compound word.
Cultural Notes:
Das Brautpaar is central to many wedding customs (Hochzeitsbräuche) and traditions in German-speaking countries, such as cutting the wedding cake (Anschneiden der Hochzeitstorte), the first dance (Eröffnungstanz), or tossing the bridal bouquet (Werfen des Brautstraußes).
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Brautpaar?
The German word Brautpaar is a neuter noun and always uses the article das (das Brautpaar, des Brautpaares, dem Brautpaar, das Brautpaar). It refers to the bride and groom together on their wedding day.