das  Sprichwort

B1

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈʃpʁɪçˌvɔʁt/

📜 What exactly is a Sprichwort?

A Sprichwort (article: das) is a short, generally known sentence expressing a piece of wisdom, an experience, or a rule. Proverbs (Sprichwörter) are often figurative and concisely phrased, forming part of a language's cultural heritage.

It is always a neuter noun: das Sprichwort. There are no other articles for this word. 💡

🧐 Grammar Spotlight: Das Sprichwort

The word "Sprichwort" is neuter (sächlich) and therefore always used with the article das. Here is the declension:

📝 Example Sentences

1. Das Sprichwort "Morgenstund hat Gold im Mund" kennt fast jeder.
   (Almost everyone knows the proverb "The early bird catches the worm" - literally: Morning hour has gold in its mouth.)
2. Die Bedeutung des Sprichwortes ist nicht immer sofort klar.
   (The meaning of the proverb is not always immediately clear.)
3. Manchmal finde ich Trost in einem alten Sprichwort.
   (Sometimes I find comfort in an old proverb.)
4. Sie zitierte oft Sprichwörter, um ihre Argumente zu untermauern.
   (She often quoted proverbs to support her arguments.)
5. Es gibt unzählige Sprichwörter in der deutschen Sprache.
   (There are countless proverbs in the German language.)

🗣️ How to Use Sprichwörter

Proverbs (Sprichwörter) are often used to:

• Emphasize a general truth or experience.
• Comment aptly on a situation.
• Support or conclude an argument.
• Express advice or a warning.

They are part of everyday language but are also found in literature and speeches. A Sprichwort is a complete sentence containing wisdom, unlike a Redewendung (idiom, e.g., "ins Gras beißen" - to bite the dust), which is usually used as part of a sentence and whose meaning is not directly derived from the individual words.

Example: "Wer anderen eine Grube gräbt, fällt selbst hinein." (He who digs a pit for others falls into it himself.) is a Sprichwort. "Tomaten auf den Augen haben" (To have tomatoes on one's eyes - meaning to be oblivious) is a Redewendung.

🧠 Mnemonics and Memory Aids

• Remembering the article: A proverb (Sprichwort) is like das Wort (the word) itself – a solid unit of wisdom. Think of "das Wort" -> "das Sprichwort".

• Remembering the meaning: A Sprich-Wort is a Wort (word or sentence) that spricht (speaks) or states something wise.

🔄 Similar and Opposing Terms

😂 A Little Joke

Warum sollte man nie Sprichwörter beim Pokern verwenden?

(Why should you never use proverbs when playing poker?)

Weil man sonst immer sagt: "Gute Karten sind die halbe Miete!"

(Because you'd always say: "Good cards are half the battle!" - literally: Good cards are half the rent!) 😄

✍️ Poem about the Sprichwort

Ein kurzer Satz, so alt, so klar,
Das Sprichwort, wunderbar.
Es birgt die Weisheit vieler Jahr',
Macht Kluges uns offenbar.

(A short sentence, so old, so clear,
The proverb, wonderful.
It holds the wisdom of many years,
Makes wise things apparent to us.)

Von "Apfel fällt nicht weit vom Stamm",
Bis "Hochmut kommt vor dem Fall", Mann!
Es lehrt, es warnt, mit leisem Drang,
Ein Schatz im Wort, ein Leben lang.

(From "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree",
To "Pride comes before a fall", man!
It teaches, it warns, with gentle urge,
A treasure in word, lifelong.)

🤔 Little Riddle

Ich bin ein Satz, oft kurz und knapp,
Trag Weisheit mit mir, Schritt für Schritt.
Von Mund zu Mund, ein alter Klapp,
Bin Lebensregel, guter Schnitt.

Was bin ich?

(I am a sentence, often short and concise,
Carry wisdom with me, step by step.
From mouth to mouth, an old clap (common saying),
Am a rule of life, a good cut.)

What am I?

Solution: Das Sprichwort (The Proverb)

🌐 Other Interesting Info

Word Composition: The word "Sprichwort" is composed of the stem of the verb "sprechen" (to speak) - "sprich" - and the noun "Wort" (word). It literally means a "spoken word" or a statement of significance.

Cultural Significance: Proverbs (Sprichwörter) often reflect the values, experiences, and history of a culture. They can vary greatly from language to language, although the underlying wisdom is often similar (e.g., German and English proverbs with similar meanings).