das  Gefängnis

B1

Estimated CEFR level.

/ɡəˈfɛŋnɪs/

🏢 What does "das Gefängnis" mean?

Das Gefängnis (noun, neuter) refers to a building or complex where people convicted of a crime or awaiting trial are held under state supervision. It's a place of imprisonment, commonly translated as prison or jail.

• Main meaning: Institution for housing inmates (penitentiary, correctional facility). Synonyms often used are Justizvollzugsanstalt (JVA) for a more official term.
• Figurative meaning (rare): A place or situation one cannot escape from, which feels restrictive. Example: "Sein Job fühlte sich an wie ein goldenes Gefängnis." (His job felt like a golden prison.)

🚨 The only correct article is das. Using der or die is incorrect.

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar in Detail: Das Gefängnis

"Gefängnis" is a noun of the neuter gender (Neutrum). It always takes the article das. The plural form is "die Gefängnisse".

Declension Singular

Declension Plural

📝 Example Sentences

1. Der Dieb wurde zu drei Jahren Gefängnis verurteilt. (The thief was sentenced to three years in prison.)
2. Die Bedingungen in diesem alten Gefängnis sind schlecht. (The conditions in this old prison are bad.)
3. Er besuchte seinen Bruder im Gefängnis. (He visited his brother in prison.)
4. Viele Gefängnisse sind überfüllt. (Many prisons are overcrowded.)

💡 Using "Gefängnis" in Context

"Gefängnis" is the most common and neutral term for a place of incarceration (prison or jail).

• Formal Context: In official documents or news reports, the term Justizvollzugsanstalt (JVA) is often used, which translates to correctional facility and is more precise. Strafanstalt (penal institution) is also more formal.
• Colloquial Use: You'll often hear Knast (very informal, like the slammer or clink) or sometimes Bau. Example: "Er sitzt im Knast." (He's in the slammer.)
• Difference from Haft: Haft refers to the state of being detained (e.g., Untersuchungshaft - pre-trial detention), while Gefängnis is the building. However, you can say both "Er ist im Gefängnis" (He is in prison) and "Er ist in Haft" (He is in custody/detention).
• Typical Verbs: ins Gefängnis kommen/gehen (to go to prison), im Gefängnis sitzen/sein (to be in prison), aus dem Gefängnis entlassen werden (to be released from prison), jemanden ins Gefängnis stecken (to put someone in prison).

🧠 Mnemonics for "das Gefängnis"

Article Mnemonic (das)

Think of das Haus (the house). A Gefängnis is also a type of 'house', albeit a very restrictive one. Many neutral German nouns for buildings don't end in -e (das Haus, das Schloss, das Gebäude, das Gefängnis). So, 'das' fits this pattern.

Meaning Mnemonic

Imagine someone being 'fangen' (caught) and put into a facility (nis). Ge-fäng-nis sounds like being 'caught' (gefangen). It's the place you go when you get gefangen.

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms for Gefängnis

⚠️ Similar Words (Potential Confusion):

• Gefangenschaft: Refers to the state of being captive, not necessarily in a building (e.g., Kriegsgefangenschaft - captivity as a prisoner of war).
• Haft: Also refers to the state of being detained (e.g., Untersuchungshaft - pre-trial detention), not primarily the building itself.

😂 A Little Joke

Fragt der Richter den Angeklagten: "Haben Sie einen Wunsch, bevor ich das Urteil verkünde?"
Sagt der Angeklagte: "Ja, Herr Richter. Einen möglichst kurzen Satz!"

(Translation: The judge asks the defendant: "Do you have a wish before I announce the sentence?"
The defendant says: "Yes, Your Honor. The shortest possible sentence!")
(Note: 'Satz' means both 'sentence' in grammar and 'sentence' as a judicial verdict.)

📜 Poem about the Prison

Hinter Mauern, kalt und grau,
vergeht die Zeit, so still und rau.
Das Gefängnis schließt die Tür,
Sehnsucht nach Freiheit brennt in dir. Stäbe trennen dich vom Licht,
ein Ort des Wartens, Tag für Schicht.
Die Hoffnung klein, die Mauern hoch,
doch irgendwann öffnet sich's doch.

(Translation: Behind walls, cold and grey, / Time passes, so quiet and rough. / The prison closes the door, / Longing for freedom burns within you. / Bars separate you from the light, / a place of waiting, day by shift. / Hope is small, the walls are high, / but eventually, it opens up.)

🤔 Little Riddle

Ich habe Mauern, doch kein Haus.
Ich habe Schlüssel, doch komm nicht raus.
Manche bleiben kurz, manche lang,
wer hier wohnt, dem ist oft bang.

Was bin ich? (Auflösung: Das Gefängnis)

(Translation: I have walls, but no house. / I have keys, but cannot get out. / Some stay briefly, some stay long, / those who live here are often afraid. / What am I? / Answer: The prison)

ℹ️ Further Information

• Word Origin (Etymology): The word "Gefängnis" comes from the Old High German "gifenganissi", meaning "captivity" or "place of captivity". It's related to the verb "fangen" (to catch).
• Compounds: Jugendgefängnis (juvenile prison), Frauengefängnis (women's prison), Untersuchungsgefängnis (remand prison), Gefängnisstrafe (prison sentence), Gefängnisinsel (prison island), Gefängnisdirektor (prison director), Gefängnismauer (prison wall).
• Idiom: "Jemanden hinter Schloss und Riegel bringen" (lit. to put someone behind lock and bolt) means to lock someone up in prison.