das
Tempolimit
🚦 What does "das Tempolimit" mean?
Das Tempolimit (noun, neuter) refers to a legally established maximum speed for vehicles on a specific section of road or generally.
It is a regulation used to control speed in road traffic, often for reasons of safety, noise reduction, or environmental protection.
- There is only this one meaning for the word, so the article is always das.
- 🚨 Attention: Do not confuse it with Tempo (speed) alone.
Article rules for der, die, and das
Many foreign words → mostly neutral.
There are many foreign words, we won't list them all.
📜 Grammar & Declension of Tempolimit
"Tempolimit" is a neuter noun. It is declined as follows:
| Case | With definite article | With indefinite article |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Who/What?) | das Tempolimit | ein Tempolimit (a speed limit) |
| Genitive (Whose?) | des Tempolimits | eines Tempolimits (of a speed limit) |
| Dative (To/For whom?) | dem Tempolimit | einem Tempolimit (to/for a speed limit) |
| Accusative (Whom/What?) | das Tempolimit | ein Tempolimit (a speed limit) |
| Case | With definite article | Without article |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die Tempolimits (the speed limits) | Tempolimits (speed limits) |
| Genitive | der Tempolimits (of the speed limits) | Tempolimits |
| Dative | den Tempolimits (to/for the speed limits) | Tempolimits |
| Accusative | die Tempolimits (the speed limits) | Tempolimits |
Example Sentences
- Auf dieser Autobahn gibt es kein generelles Tempolimit. (On this highway, there is no general speed limit.)
- Das neue Tempolimit von 30 km/h soll die Anwohner schützen. (The new speed limit of 30 km/h is intended to protect the residents.)
- Viele Länder diskutieren über die Einführung strengerer Tempolimits. (Many countries are discussing the introduction of stricter speed limits.)
- Er wurde geblitzt, weil er das Tempolimit überschritten hatte. (He got caught by a speed camera because he had exceeded the speed limit.)
🚗 When and how to use "Tempolimit"?
"Das Tempolimit" is mainly used in the context of road traffic and traffic regulations.
- Typical contexts: Discussions about traffic policy, news reports about accidents or new regulations, in the car when observing signs, when planning routes.
- Formality: The word is common in both formal (legal texts, news) and informal language (everyday conversations).
- Comparison: While "Geschwindigkeitsbegrenzung" is a synonym and often sounds more formal, "Tempolimit" is very common and shorter. "Höchstgeschwindigkeit" (maximum speed) emphasizes the allowed upper limit.
🧠 Mnemonics for Memorization
How can you remember the article and meaning of "das Tempolimit"?
Article Mnemonic (das): Think of das Sign. Speed limits (Tempolimits) are shown on signs. Signs in German are often associated with neutral concepts or objects: das Schild (the sign), das Gebot (the commandment), das Verbot (the prohibition).
Meaning Mnemonic: Break it down: Tempo is speed, Limit is the boundary. Together, it's the limit for the tempo – das Tempolimit.
↔️ Synonyms & Opposites
Synonyms (Similar Meaning)
- Geschwindigkeitsbegrenzung: The more formal, longer German word for speed limit.
- Höchstgeschwindigkeit: Maximum speed; emphasizes the upper threshold.
- Geschwindigkeitsbeschränkung: Speed restriction; similar to Begrenzung, often used in official texts.
Antonyms/Opposite Concept
- Kein Tempolimit / Unbegrenzte Geschwindigkeit: No speed limit / Unlimited speed; the state of having no prescribed maximum speed (e.g., on some German Autobahn sections).
- Freie Fahrt: Lit. "free drive"; colloquially used for stretches without a speed limit.
⚠️ Similar but Different Words: Richtgeschwindigkeit (advisory speed limit; recommended but not mandatory speed).
😄 A Little Joke
German: Warum nehmen Schnecken nie Strafzettel wegen zu schnellen Fahrens mit nach Hause? – Weil sie selbst das Tempolimit sind! 🐌
English: Why do snails never get speeding tickets? – Because they ARE the speed limit! 🐌
📜 Poem about the Tempolimit
German:
Das Schild am Rand, es mahnt zur Ruh',
"Fahr langsam!", flüstert's dir leis' zu.
Das Tempolimit, klar und rein,
Soll Schutz für alle Straßen sein.
Mal 100, 80 oder 30 klein,
Hältst du es ein, fährst du fein.
English Translation:
The sign at the edge warns for quietude,
"Drive slowly!" it whispers softly to you.
The speed limit, clear and pure,
Should be protection for all roads, for sure.
Sometimes 100, 80 or a small 30,
If you stick to it, you drive expertly.
❓ Riddle Time
German:
Ich bin eine Zahl auf einem Schild,
Mal streng, mal auf der Autobahn eher mild.
Ich sag' dir, wie schnell du fahren darfst,
Damit du sicher durch den Verkehr surfst.
Was bin ich?
English:
I am a number on a sign,
Sometimes strict, sometimes mild on the highway line.
I tell you how fast you're allowed to steer,
So you can navigate traffic without fear.
What am I?
(Solution: das Tempolimit / the speed limit)
ℹ️ Other Interesting Info
- Word Composition: The word is a compound of "das Tempo" (from Italian for speed, time measure) and "das Limit" (from English/Latin for limit, boundary).
- Cultural Context: In Germany, the topic of Tempolimit, especially a general speed limit on Autobahnen (highways), is a subject of frequent and often emotional political debate. Germany is one of the few countries without a general highway speed limit.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Tempolimit?
The correct form is always das Tempolimit (neuter). It refers to a prescribed maximum speed limit in road traffic.