das  Temperament

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/tɛmpɛʁaˈmɛnt/

🧐 What exactly is 'das Temperament'?

The German word das Temperament (noun, neuter) describes the innate, fundamental nature or disposition of a person or animal. It refers to the way someone reacts to stimuli, their typical mood, and their energy level.

Essentially, it's about:

• The basic emotional attitude (e.g., rather cheerful, short-tempered, calm, melancholic)
• Irritability and sensitivity
• General liveliness or restraint

It's considered a relatively stable and biologically rooted part of personality. You can talk about a lebhaftes Temperament (lively temperament), a ruhiges Temperament (calm temperament), or a feuriges Temperament (fiery temperament).

Article rules for der, die, and das

📐 Grammar in Detail: Das Temperament

The noun "Temperament" is neuter. The indefinite article is ein, and the definite article is das.

Example Sentences

1. Sein ruhiges Temperament macht ihn zu einem angenehmen Kollegen.
   (His calm temperament makes him a pleasant colleague.)
2. Sie hat ein feuriges Temperament und lässt sich nichts gefallen.
   (She has a fiery temperament and doesn't put up with anything.)
3. Die Psychologie unterscheidet verschiedene Temperamente.
   (Psychology distinguishes between different temperaments.)
4. Man muss lernen, mit seinem eigenen Temperament umzugehen.
   (One must learn to deal with one's own temperament.)

🗣️ How 'Temperament' is Used

The term "Temperament" is mostly used to describe a person's fundamental nature, often considered innate.

• Character description: It's a key word when discussing personality traits. "Er hat ein schwieriges Temperament." (He has a difficult temperament.)
• Explaining behavior: Sometimes used to explain sudden or intense reactions. "Sein südländisches Temperament ging mit ihm durch." (His southern temperament got the better of him.) (⚠️ Be cautious, this can be stereotypical!)
• Describing animals: Also used for animals. "Dieses Pferd hat ein sanftes Temperament." (This horse has a gentle temperament.)
• Distinction from 'Stimmung': While Stimmung (mood) is changeable, Temperament refers to a more fundamental, lasting quality.
• Distinction from 'Charakter': Charakter (character) also includes acquired moral and social aspects of personality, whereas Temperament tends to represent the biological-emotional basis.

⚠️ Avoid generalizations or stereotypes when talking about the temperament of groups of people.

💡 Mnemonics to Remember

Article Mnemonic (das): Think of other neuter German words for abstract inner states or concepts like das Gefühl (the feeling), das Wesen (the being/nature), das Gemüt (the disposition). Das Temperament fits into this category of neuter 'inner core' concepts. Alternatively: Imagine a child (das Kind) having a particular temperament.

Meaning Mnemonic: "Temperament" sounds like "temperature". Imagine it's the internal "operating temperature" of a person – sometimes hot-headed, sometimes cool, sometimes balanced. This temperature influences how they react.

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms for Temperament

😄 A Little Joke

Warum hat der Vulkan so ein feuriges Temperament?

Weil er ständig unter Druck steht und ab und zu Dampf ablassen muss! 🌋

--- Translation ---

Why does the volcano have such a fiery temperament?

Because it's constantly under pressure and needs to let off steam now and then! 🌋

📜 Poem about Temperament

Mal feurig heiß, mal kühl und klar,
das Temperament, es ist stets da.
Es prägt das Sein, den Schritt, den Ton,
zeigt aufbrausend sich oder voll Hohn.
Mal sanft wie Wind, mal Sturmgebraus,
so lebt es in uns, Tag ein, Tag aus.

--- Translation ---

Sometimes fiery hot, sometimes cool and clear,
the temperament, it's always here.
It shapes our being, our step, our tone,
shows itself raging or full of scorn.
Sometimes soft as wind, sometimes a storm's roar,
so it lives within us, day in, day out, evermore.

🧩 Who or What Am I?

Ich bin angeboren, nicht erlernt,
von Ruhe bis Zorn bin ich nicht weit entfernt.
Man sagt, ich sei feurig, sanft oder kühl,
ich beschreibe dein innerstes Lebensgefühl.

Was bin ich?

Lösung: das Temperament

--- Translation ---

I am innate, not learned,
From calm to anger, I'm not far turned.
They say I'm fiery, gentle, or cool,
I describe your innermost feeling, as a rule.

What am I?

Solution: das Temperament (temperament)

🌐 Other Interesting Facts

Word Origin: The word "Temperament" comes from the Latin temperamentum, meaning "proper mixture, balance". This originally referred to the ancient theory of the four bodily humors (blood, phlegm, yellow bile, black bile), whose mixture, according to humoral pathology, was thought to determine temperament.

The Four Temperaments: This theory distinguished four basic types:

• Sanguine: cheerful, active (associated with blood)
• Phlegmatic: calm, passive (associated with phlegm)
• Choleric: irritable, hot-tempered (associated with yellow bile)
• Melancholic: sad, thoughtful (associated with black bile)

Although this theory is medically outdated, the terms have persisted to describe personality types.