das
Geflügel
🐔 What exactly is "das Geflügel"?
Das Geflügel (neuter) is a collective noun in German, referring to various types of birds kept as domestic animals, mainly for their meat, eggs, or feathers. So, it doesn't refer to a single animal, but to the group.
- Main meaning: Domestic birds like chickens (Hühner), turkeys (Puten), ducks (Enten), geese (Gänse), which are raised for human consumption or other purposes. In English: poultry or fowl.
- Broader sense: Sometimes it can also include wild birds that are hunted (e.g., pheasant - Fasan, partridge - Rebhuhn), especially in a culinary context (Wildgeflügel - game birds).
⚠️ It's a Kollektivum (collective noun), similar to "das Obst" (fruit) or "das Gemüse" (vegetables). It is almost exclusively used in the singular.
Article rules for der, die, and das
Ge- → mostly neutral.
Nouns beginning with Ge- are usually neutral, unless other rules apply. We do not list all Ge nouns.
Ge- → mostly neutral.
Nouns beginning with Ge- are usually neutral, unless other rules apply. We do not list all Ge nouns.
🧐 Grammar of Geflügel in Detail
"Geflügel" is a neuter noun and takes the article das. As a collective noun, it's typically used in the singular form.
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | das | Geflügel |
| Genitive | des | Geflügels |
| Dative | dem | Geflügel |
| Accusative | das | Geflügel |
Plural: The plural form "die Geflügel" is very rare and hardly ever used. Instead, people talk about "Geflügelarten" (types of poultry) or list the specific animals (Hühner, Enten etc.).
Examples for clarification
- Nominativ: Das Geflügel im Hof gackert laut. (The poultry in the yard is cackling loudly.)
- Genitiv: Der Geschmack des Geflügels war ausgezeichnet. (The taste of the poultry was excellent.)
- Dativ: Er fütterte dem Geflügel Körner. (He fed grains to the poultry.)
- Akkusativ: Wir kaufen heute das Geflügel für das Abendessen. (We are buying the poultry for dinner today.)
🍴 When to use "das Geflügel"?
The term "Geflügel" is primarily used in the following contexts:
- Culinary: When talking about the meat of these birds, e.g., on menus ("Geflügelgerichte" - poultry dishes), at the butcher's, or in the supermarket ("Frisches Geflügel" - fresh poultry).
- Agricultural/Biological: When generally referring to the group of birds kept as livestock (Geflügelzucht - poultry farming, Geflügelhaltung - poultry keeping).
Distinction:
- Vogel: This is the general term for all birds (including songbirds, birds of prey, etc.). "Geflügel" is a specific subgroup.
- Huhn, Ente, Pute: These are specific species within the category "Geflügel". Use the specific names when talking about individual animals or species.
So you would say: "Ich esse gerne Geflügel" (I like to eat poultry - general), but "Dieses Huhn sieht lecker aus" (This chicken looks delicious - specific).
🧠 Mnemonics for "das Geflügel"
For the article (das): Think of other collective nouns for food that are often neuter: das Obst (fruit), das Gemüse (vegetables), das Getreide (grain)... and also das Geflügel. Imagine putting the food onto das Tablett (the tray - also neuter!).
For the meaning (Poultry): The word contains "Flügel" (wings). Geflügel are animals with wings that we often eat. Picture a whole flock (a collective) of chickens and ducks with funny little wings – that's Geflügel.
🔄 Similar and Opposite Terms
Synonyms (Similar Meaning)
- Federvieh: A slightly older but synonymous term for Geflügel (literally "feather-cattle").
- Hausgeflügel: Emphasizes that these are domesticated birds.
Antonyms (Opposite Meaning)
There isn't a direct antonym for "Geflügel" as a collective noun. However, it can be contrasted with:
- Wild: Meat from hunted animals (deer, boar). (Although "Wildgeflügel" - game birds - exists).
- Fisch: Fish.
- Rindfleisch, Schweinefleisch etc.: Beef, pork, etc. (meat from other types of livestock).
Potential for Confusion
😂 A Little Joke
Warum hat das Huhn die Straße überquert?
Um auf die andere Seite zu gelangen!
(Why did the chicken cross the road? - To get to the other side! ... Okay, it's old, but it fits the poultry theme! 😉)
✒️ Poultry Poem
Im Hof, da tummelt sich die Schar,
das Geflügel, wunderbar.
Huhn und Ente, Gans und Puter,
liefern Eier uns und Futter.
Ob gebraten, ob gekocht,
sein Fleisch wird gerne doch gemocht.
(In the yard, the flock does roam,
The poultry, wonderful at home.
Chicken, duck, goose, and turkey,
Give us eggs and food, you see.
Whether roasted, whether boiled,
Its meat is gladly not despoiled.)
❓ Little Riddle
Ich bin kein einzeln' Tier, doch hab' ich Flügel weit,
man hält mich auf dem Hof, zu Nutz und Essenszeit.
Ich gack're, schnatt're, putere - ein bunter Chor.
Wie nennt man meine Gruppe, komm, sag's mir ins Ohr!
(I'm not a single animal, but have wings so wide,
Kept in the farmyard, for use and mealtime tide.
I cackle, quack, and gobble - a colourful choir.
What is my group called? Whisper it higher!)
(Solution: das Geflügel)
💡 Other Interesting Facts
Word Formation (Wortbildung):
The word "Geflügel" is a collective formation using the prefix "Ge-" and the suffix "-el" added to the word "Flügel" (wing). The prefix "Ge-" is often used in German to form collective nouns (e.g., Gebirge - mountain range, Gewässer - body of water).
Cultural Notes (Kulturelles):
Poultry (Geflügel) plays an important role in many cultures as a food source, especially during holidays (e.g., the Christmas goose - Weihnachtsgans - in Germany, the turkey for Thanksgiving in the USA).
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Geflügel?
The correct article for the collective noun "Geflügel" is always das. It is a neuter noun referring to domestic birds like chickens, ducks, or turkeys (poultry/fowl) and is mostly used in the singular.