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foot base sole
قدم قاعدة
pie base
پا پایه
pied base
पैर आधार
piede base
stopa podstawa
base
picior bază
нога основание
ayak taban
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底部

der  Fuß
A1
Estimated CEFR level.
/fuːs/

🦶 What does "der Fuß" mean?

The German word der Fuß (plural: die Füße) has several meanings:

  • Body Part: The most common meaning is the foot, the lowest part of the leg in humans and many animals, used for standing and walking. 👣
  • Unit of Measurement: Historically and in specific contexts (e.g., aviation, maritime, Anglo-American system), "Fuß" refers to a unit of length (approximately 30.48 cm or 12 inches). 📏
  • Lower Part/Base: Figuratively, "Fuß" can also denote the lower part or base of objects (e.g., der Fuß eines Berges - the foot of a mountain, der Fuß eines Glases - the base of a glass). ⛰️🍷
  • Metric Foot (Poetry): In poetry, ein Fuß is a metrical unit consisting of stressed and unstressed syllables.

🚨 Note: The plural involves a vowel change: Fuß → Füße.

Article rules for der, die, and das

-us/-uss/-uß mostly masculine.

Including -ismus nouns (100% masculine, e.g. der Tourismus)

Examples: der Abfluss · der Abschluss · der Algorithmus · der Anschluss · der Applaus · der Aufschluss · der A...
⚠️ Exceptions: das Haus · das Krankenhaus · das Minus · das Plus · das Rathaus · die Fledermaus · die Kokosnuss · d...

The Grammar of "der Fuß" 🧐

"Fuß" is a masculine noun and takes the article der. It's one of the nouns that changes its vowel in the plural.

Declension Singular

Declension of 'der Fuß' in Singular
CaseArticleNoun
NominativederFuß
GenitivedesFußes
DativedemFuß / Fuße*
AccusativedenFuß

*The dative ending -e (Fuße) is less common and considered more formal or used in fixed expressions.

Declension Plural

Declension of 'die Füße' in Plural
CaseArticleNoun
NominativedieFüße
GenitivederFüße
DativedenFüßen
AccusativedieFüße

Example Sentences

  1. Nominative: Der Fuß tut mir weh. (My foot hurts.)
  2. Genitive: Die Größe des Fußes ist 43. (The size of the foot is 43.)
  3. Dative: Ich habe mir auf dem Fuß / Fuße gestanden. (I stepped on my foot.)
  4. Accusative: Er hat sich den Fuß gebrochen. (He broke his foot.)
  5. Plural: Meine Füße sind nach der Wanderung müde. (My feet are tired after the hike.)
  6. Unit of Measurement: Das Flugzeug fliegt in 30.000 Fuß Höhe. (The airplane is flying at an altitude of 30,000 feet.)

🚶‍♀️ Using "Fuß" in Daily Life

"Der Fuß" is used very frequently in everyday language, especially referring to the body part.

  • Literal Meaning: Talking about the body, pain, shoes, socks, walking, standing, sports (Fußball! - football/soccer).
  • Unit of Measurement: Mainly in specific technical fields or international contexts (altitude, boat length, height in some countries).
  • Base/Lower Part: Less common, but used, e.g., "am Fuße des Berges" (at the foot of the mountain).

There are many German idioms (Redewendungen) with "Fuß":

  • Auf großem Fuß leben: To live extravagantly. (Literally: to live on a big foot)
  • Kalte Füße bekommen: To get cold feet, to back out of something due to fear.
  • Jemandem auf die Füße treten: To step on someone's toes, to offend someone.
  • Festen Fuß fassen: To gain a foothold, to become established.
  • Etwas mit Füßen treten: To disregard something, to treat something disrespectfully. (Literally: to trample something with feet)
  • Zu Fuß gehen: To go on foot, to walk.

Confusion is unlikely as the context (body part vs. unit of measurement) is usually very clear.

🧠 How to Remember "der Fuß"

Remembering the Article: Think of *der*minator - he has strong legs and feet. *Der* Fuß is masculine.

Remembering the Meaning & Plural: One foot (singular, 'o' sound like 'u' in Fuß) takes a shoe. Two feet (plural, 'ee' sound like 'ü' in Füße) need two shoes. The vowel sound changes in English (oo -> ee) just like in German (u -> ü).

🔄 Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms (Alternatives)

  • For body part (more colloquial or technical): die Extremität (lower extremity), der Treter (colloquial kicker), der Quanten (colloquial, dated), der Lauf (hunter's term for animal leg/foot)
  • For unit of measurement: Foot (English term)
  • For base: der Sockel (pedestal, base), die Basis (base), der Grund (ground, base)

Antonyms (Opposites)

  • Body part: die Hand (hand), der Kopf (head)
  • Base/lower part: die Spitze (tip, top), der Gipfel (summit, peak), der obere Teil (the upper part)

⚠️ Similar Words

  • Der Fußboden: The floor of a room. (Related to Fuß, but a distinct word.)
  • Die Fessel: The ankle area; also used for 'shackle' or 'fetter'.

😂 A Little Joke

German: Fragt der Arzt den Patienten: "Haben Sie Probleme mit den Füßen?" Patient: "Ja, ich kann sie einfach nicht ausziehen, wenn ich meine Schuhe anhabe!"

English Translation: The doctor asks the patient: "Do you have problems with your feet?" Patient: "Yes, I just can't take them off when I have my shoes on!"

📜 Poem about the Foot

German:
Der Fuß, der trägt uns durch die Welt,
Ob's regnet oder Sonne fällt.
Mal schnell, mal langsam, Schritt für Schritt,
Nimmt uns der treue Diener mit.
Im Schuh versteckt, oft unbeachtet,
Bis er mal schmerzt, dann wird's betrachtet.
Von früh bis spät für uns bereit,
Der Fuß, er leistet viel Arbeit.

English Translation:
The foot, it carries us through the world,
Whether it rains or sun is hurled.
Sometimes fast, sometimes slow, step by step,
This loyal servant takes us in its kep'.
Hidden in shoe, often unseen,
Until it hurts, then it is keen-
ly watched. From morn till night prepared,
The foot, much work it has declared.

🧩 Little Riddle

German:
Ich trage dich dein Leben lang,
Bin unten an dir dran.
Hab Zehen, aber keine Hand,
Bin manchmal im Schuhwerk eingespannt.
Man misst auch Länge mit mir, hier und dort,
Bin Teil von dir und auch ein Maß-Wort.

English Translation:
I carry you your whole life long,
I'm attached to you down below.
I have toes, but have no hand,
Sometimes in footwear, I am spanned.
Length is also measured with me, here and there,
I'm part of you and a measuring word to share.

Solution: Der Fuß (The foot)

✨ Other Information

Word Compositions (Wortzusammensetzungen)

"Fuß" is the base for many compound words in German:

  • Fußball: Football / Soccer
  • Fußabdruck: Footprint
  • Fußgänger: Pedestrian
  • Fußnote: Footnote
  • Fußboden: Floor
  • Fußangel: Caltrop / trap; also used figuratively for a hidden difficulty.

Historical Unit of Measurement

The length of a "Fuß" was historically not standardized and varied greatly depending on the region and era. The international foot commonly used today is based on the English system.

Summary: is it der, die or das Fuß?

The German word for "foot" or the unit of measurement is masculine: der Fuß. The plural is die Füße.

🤖

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