der  Friedhof

A2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈfʁiːdhoːf/

📖 What exactly is 'der Friedhof'?

Der Friedhof (plural: die Friedhöfe) refers to a place where deceased people are buried. It's a burial site (Begräbnisstätte), often containing graves (Gräber), gravestones (Grabsteine), and sometimes a chapel (Kapelle).

The word is composed of:

• Frieden: Originally, 'Friede' also meant protection or enclosure. So a Friedhof was a protected, 'fenced-in' place. Today it primarily means peace.
• Hof: A Hof is a courtyard, yard, or enclosed area.

So, der Friedhof literally means a "courtyard of peace" or an "enclosed yard", a place of rest for the deceased and a place of remembrance for the living. It translates to cemetery or graveyard in English.

There is only this one article, der, for Friedhof, as it is a masculine noun. There are no different meanings based on the article. ⚠️ Make sure to always use der Friedhof.

🧐 Grammar of 'der Friedhof' in Detail

The noun „Friedhof“ is masculine. Here are the declension tables:

Singular

Plural

Example Sentences

1. Der alte Friedhof liegt neben der Kirche. (The old cemetery is next to the church.)
2. Wir besuchen morgen den Friedhof. (We are visiting the cemetery tomorrow.)
3. Auf dem Friedhof(e) ist es sehr ruhig. (It is very quiet in the cemetery.)
4. Die Mauer des Friedhofs ist schon sehr alt. (The wall of the cemetery is already very old.)
5. In der Stadt gibt es mehrere Friedhöfe. (There are several cemeteries in the city.)
6. Sie pflegten die Gräber auf vielen Friedhöfen. (They tended the graves in many cemeteries.)

💬 How to use 'der Friedhof'?

Der Friedhof is used in German in the context of death, burial, and remembrance.

• Place of burial: „Die Beerdigung findet auf dem städtischen Friedhof statt.“ (The funeral takes place at the municipal cemetery.)
• Place of remembrance: „Zu Allerheiligen besuchen viele Menschen die Friedhöfe, um der Verstorbenen zu gedenken.“ (On All Saints' Day, many people visit cemeteries to commemorate the deceased.)
• Place of peace and quiet: „Manche Leute gehen auf den Friedhof, um Ruhe und Besinnung zu finden.“ (Some people go to the cemetery to find peace and contemplation.)
• Metaphorically (rare): Sometimes the term is used metaphorically, e.g., „Elefantenfriedhof“ (elephants' graveyard) for a place where many old things (or elephants in legends) end up.

Compared to Kirchhof (often directly adjacent to a church, churchyard), Friedhof is the more general term and can exist independently of a church (e.g., städtischer Friedhof - municipal cemetery, Waldfriedhof - forest cemetery).

💡 Mnemonics for 'der Friedhof'

Mnemonic for the article 'der':

Imagine a *man*, perhaps *der* old groundskeeper, tending the *Hof* (yard) of *Frieden* (peace). *Der* man -> *der* Friedhof. Masculine word often end in -hof (Bahnhof, Bauernhof).

Mnemonic for the meaning:

It's a *Hof* (yard/court) where people find *Frieden* (peace), or where the dead rest in peace. *Frieden* + *Hof* = *Friedhof* (cemetery/graveyard). Think of it as a 'peace-yard'.

🔄 Synonyms and Antonyms

Similar but different words:

• Bahnhof: Sounds similar ending in '-hof' but means train station. Don't mix them up! 🚉 vs. 🪦

😄 A Little Joke

German: Warum nehmen Skelette kein Handy mit auf den Friedhof? – Weil sie dort keinen Empfang haben!

English: Why don't skeletons take a cell phone to the cemetery? – Because they have no reception (body/signal) there! 😉 (The joke plays on the double meaning of 'Empfang' - reception/signal and 'having somebody' i.e. a body)

📜 Poem about the Cemetery

Der Friedhof

Stiller Ort, von Mauern alt,
wo die Zeit Geschichten hallt.
Unter Bäumen, grün und dicht,
spricht der Stein von Lebenslicht.

Hier ruht aus, wer müde war,
im Frieden, Jahr für Jahr.
Ein Hof der Ruh', fernab vom Streit,
Symbol für die Vergänglichkeit.

The Cemetery (Translation)

Silent place, with walls so old,
where time its stories has told.
Beneath the trees, so green and dense,
the stone speaks of life's light, intense.

Here rests who weary grew,
in peace, the whole year through.
A yard of rest, from strife apart,
a symbol of the fleeting heart (or: transience).

❓ Riddle Time

German:
Ich bin ein Hof, doch ohne Vieh,
man bringt mir Menschen spät und früh.
Sie bleiben hier in stiller Ruh',
mit Namen auf dem Stein dazu.

Was bin ich?

English:
I am a yard, but have no cattle,
people are brought to me, ending life's battle.
They stay here in quiet rest, it's true,
with names on stones for me and you.

What am I?

Solution: Der Friedhof (The Cemetery)

🧩 Other Information

Etymology (Word Origin)

As mentioned earlier, Friedhof comes from Frieden (Old High German 'fridu' = protection, sanctuary, later also enclosure/fence) and Hof (Old High German 'hof' = enclosed space, courtyard, farmstead). It originally designated a fenced-in, protected area.

Cultural Significance

Cemeteries (Friedhöfe) in German-speaking countries are not just burial sites, but also places of cultural history (tombstone art, graves of famous people), nature (often designed like parks), and personal mourning and remembrance.