das
Geschoss
🎯 What does "das Geschoss" mean?
The German word das Geschoss has two main meanings:
Storey / Floor of a building: 🏢 In this sense, Geschoss refers to a level or floor within a structure. Examples include the Erdgeschoss (ground floor), the Obergeschoss (upper floor), or the Dachgeschoss (attic floor).
Projectile / Missile: 💣 This meaning denotes an object that is shot, typically from a weapon. It could be a bullet, a shell, or a rocket.
⚠️ It's important to consider the context to understand the correct meaning. The article is always das.
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.
📚 Grammar of "das Geschoss" in Detail
"Das Geschoss" is a neuter noun. Here is its declension:
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | das | Geschoss |
| Genitive | des | Geschosses |
| Dative | dem | Geschoss / Geschosse |
| Accusative | das | Geschoss |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Geschosse |
| Genitive | der | Geschosse |
| Dative | den | Geschossen |
| Accusative | die | Geschosse |
Example Sentences
- Meaning 1 (Floor): Unsere Wohnung liegt im dritten Geschoss. (Our apartment is on the third floor.)
- Meaning 1 (Floor): Das Gebäude hat fünf Geschosse und ein Kellergeschoss. (The building has five floors and a basement floor.)
- Meaning 2 (Projectile): Das Geschoss traf sein Ziel mit hoher Präzision. (The projectile hit its target with high precision.)
- Meaning 2 (Projectile): Die Polizei fand mehrere Geschosse am Tatort. (The police found several projectiles at the crime scene.)
💡 How to use "das Geschoss"?
Usage depends heavily on the meaning:
- As Floor/Storey: Used primarily in architecture, construction, and everyday language to describe levels in buildings. Typical compounds are Erdgeschoss (ground floor), Obergeschoss (upper floor), Dachgeschoss (attic floor), Untergeschoss/Kellergeschoss (basement floor), Zwischengeschoss (mezzanine). People often talk about which Geschoss they live or work on.
- As Projectile: Found mainly in military, police, or ballistic contexts. People speak of scharfe Geschosse (live ammunition/projectiles), abefeuerte Geschosse (fired projectiles), or the Flugbahn eines Geschosses (trajectory of a projectile). It is more specific than der Schuss (the shot), as it refers to the object itself, not the act of shooting.
Potential for confusion: Do not confuse it with "der Schuss" (the act of shooting or the bang/report).
🧠 Mnemonics for "das Geschoss"
Article Mnemonic: Think of das Haus (the house). A Haus often has several Geschosse (floors). The ending -oss sounds a bit like the neuter pronoun "es" -> das Geschoss.
Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine a projectile (Geschoss 💣) shooting through the floors (Geschosse 🏢) of a house. One word, two scenarios!
🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
Antonyms
- For Floor/Storey:
- das Erdgeschoss / das Dachgeschoss (as boundaries)
- der Keller (as the lowest level)
- For Projectile:
Similar Words
😂 A Little Joke
Warum nehmen Architekten immer einen Bleistift mit ins Bett?
Damit sie ihre Träume vom nächsten Geschoss zeichnen können!
(Why do architects always take a pencil to bed?
So they can draw their dreams of the next floor/storey!)
📜 A Poem about Geschosse
Ein Haus, hoch und breit,
hat Geschosse, weit und breit.
Im Keller dunkel, kühl und still,
im Dachgeschoss, da scheint's idyll.
Ein Knall durchbricht die Nacht,
ein Geschoss hat sich aufgemacht.
Fliegt schnell durch Luft und Raum,
ein gefährlicher, jäher Traum.
(A house, tall and wide,
has floors, far and wide.
In the cellar dark, cool, and still,
in the attic, it seems idyllic.)
(A bang breaks through the night,
a projectile has set off.
Flies fast through air and space,
a dangerous, sudden dream.)
❓ Riddle Time
Ich kann Teil eines Hauses sein,
mal oben, mal unten, mal mittenrein.
Doch werd' ich geschossen, schnell und grad,
bin ich Gefahr für Mensch und Stadt.
Was bin ich?
(I can be part of a house,
sometimes up high, sometimes low, sometimes right in between.
But if I am shot, fast and straight,
I am a danger to people and city.
What am I?)
Solution: Das Geschoss
🧐 More Facts
Word Origin: The word "Geschoss" derives from the verb "schießen" (to shoot). Originally, it likely referred primarily to that which is shot (projectile). The meaning "storey/floor" developed later, possibly from the idea of a building section that "shoots up" in height or a self-contained space.
Compounds: The word is often part of compound nouns, especially in its architectural meaning:
- Erdgeschoss (ground floor)
- Obergeschoss (upper floor)
- Dachgeschoss (attic floor)
- Kellergeschoss (basement floor)
- Zwischengeschoss (mezzanine)
- Vollgeschoss (full storey - building code term)
- Artilleriegeschoss (artillery shell)
- Panzergeschoss (armor-piercing shell)
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Geschoss?
The word "Geschoss" always uses the article das. It has two main meanings: a floor or storey of a building (e.g., das dritte Geschoss - the third floor) and a projectile that is fired (e.g., ein explosives Geschoss - an explosive projectile). The context makes it clear which meaning is intended.