der  Großteil

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈɡʁoːsˌtaɪ̯l/

📊 What does "der Großteil" mean?

Der Großteil refers to the overwhelming part, the largest portion, or the majority of a quantity, group, or thing. It's essentially a synonym for the main part or the bulk.

• It's a noun and always masculine: der Großteil.
• It's almost exclusively used in the singular, as it refers to a part of a whole. A plural form is uncommon.
• Example: Der Großteil der Arbeit ist erledigt. (The main part of the work is done.)

🚨 Be careful not to confuse it with "ein großer Teil" (a large part), which sounds similar but doesn't necessarily imply the majority.

🧐 Grammar of "der Großteil" in Detail

"Großteil" is a masculine noun. Here is its declension in the singular:

A plural form ("die Großteile") is grammatically possible but very rare and usually avoided. People often speak of "die größten Teile" (the largest parts) instead.

📝 Application Examples

1. Der Großteil der Studierenden bestand die Prüfung. (The majority of the students passed the exam. - Nominative)
2. Er hat den Großteil seines Geldes ausgegeben. (He spent the bulk of his money. - Accusative)
3. Wir widmen uns heute dem Großteil der Aufgaben. (Today, we are dedicating ourselves to the main part of the tasks. - Dative)
4. Die Verantwortung des Großteils der Mitglieder ist klar definiert. (The responsibility of the majority of the members is clearly defined. - Genitive)

💡 How "der Großteil" is used

Der Großteil is used to describe the main portion or the majority of something. It can refer to countable or uncountable things.

• Contexts: Often found in reports, statistics, when describing groups or quantities.
• Prepositions: Frequently used with the preposition von + Dative or with the Genitive case to specify what it is the largest part of. Example: Der Großteil von den Äpfeln ist reif. Or: Der Großteil der Äpfel ist reif. (The majority of the apples are ripe.)
• Difference from "Mehrheit": Die Mehrheit (the majority) is often used more specifically for votes or groups of people (over 50%). Der Großteil is somewhat more general and can simply mean the largest chunk, even if it's not over 50% (e.g., the largest part among several smaller parts).
• Formality: Generally neutral to slightly formal language.

Example: Der Großteil der Bevölkerung lebt in Städten. (The majority of the population lives in cities.)

🧠 Mnemonics for "der Großteil"

Article Mnemonic: Remember that der Teil (the part) is masculine. If a regular part is already 'der', then the große Teil (large part), der Großteil, definitely is too! 😉

Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine a gross amount, a really large part of something – that's der Großteil, the majority or bulk.

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms for "Großteil"

⚠️ Similar Words

• Ein großer Teil: (A large part) - Can be, but doesn't have to be, the majority. It's simply a considerable part.

😄 A Little Joke

Warum teilt der Mathematiker seinen Kuchen immer in ungleiche Stücke?

Damit er immer sagen kann: "Ich nehme nur den Großteil!" 😅

Translation: Why does the mathematician always divide his cake into unequal pieces? So he can always say: "I'll just take the main part (the largest piece)!"

📜 A Little Poem

Von allem, was da ist und zählt,
ist es der Teil, der oft gefällt.
Nicht klein, nicht wenig, sondern viel,
der Großteil führt uns oft ans Ziel.
Ob Menschen, Dinge, Zeit und Raum,
er füllt den größten Lebenstraum.

Translation:
Of all that is and counts,
it is the part that often pleases.
Not small, not little, but much,
the main part often leads us to the goal.
Whether people, things, time and space,
it fills the biggest life dream.

❓ Little Riddle

Ich bin nicht alles, doch das Meiste.
Ich bin der Chef in jeder Leiste,
zeigt eine Statistik mich an.
Maskulin bin ich, sag an,
wer bin ich wohl, der größte Batzen dann?

Lösung / Solution: Der Großteil

Translation:
I am not everything, but the most.
I am the boss in every list/bar (chart),
if a statistic shows me.
I am masculine, tell me now,
who am I then, the biggest chunk somehow?

🧩 Other Information

Word Formation

The word "Großteil" is a compound noun, composed of:

• groß (adjective): large, big
• der Teil (noun, masculine): part, portion

It nominalizes the idea of a "large part" into a fixed term.

Frequency

"Der Großteil" is a common word in the German language, especially in factual contexts.