der  Jahrgang

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈjaːɐ̯ɡaŋ/

📖 What does "der Jahrgang" mean?

The word der Jahrgang (masculine) has several meanings, all relating to a group defined by a specific year:

• 👥 Age Group/Cohort: People born in the same year or who started training or an activity together (e.g., in school, the military, university). Example: Mein Bruder und ich sind nicht im selben Jahrgang. (My brother and I are not in the same year group.)
• 🍷 Wine Vintage: All the wines produced from grapes harvested in a particular year. The quality can vary significantly. Example: Der Jahrgang 2018 war für Rotweine exzellent. (The 2018 vintage was excellent for red wines.)
• 📚 Publication Year/Volume: All issues of a magazine or newspaper published in a specific calendar year. Example: Ich suche den kompletten Jahrgang 1995 der Zeitschrift. (I'm looking for the complete 1995 volume of the magazine.)

🚨 Pay attention to the context to understand the correct meaning.

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar of "der Jahrgang"

Der Jahrgang is a masculine noun. Its declension follows the regular pattern for masculine nouns.

📝 Example Sentences

1. Der gesamte Jahrgang 2005 macht bald Abitur. (The entire 2005 year group will soon take their final exams.)
2. Wir probierten einen Wein vom Jahrgang 1990. (We tasted a wine from the 1990 vintage.)
3. Im Archiv fehlt der Jahrgang 1950 dieser Zeitung. (The 1950 volume of this newspaper is missing from the archive.)
4. Sie gehört zum selben Jahrgang wie ich. (She belongs to the same year group as me.)
5. Die Qualität der Jahrgänge kann stark schwanken. (The quality of the vintages can fluctuate greatly.)

💡 How to use "Jahrgang"?

The use of der Jahrgang strongly depends on the context:

• In an educational context: People often talk about Jahrgangsstufen (year levels) or the Jahrgang that is currently graduating or starting school. ("Der Jahrgang 2023 beginnt die Grundschule." - The 2023 intake is starting primary school.)
• Among wine enthusiasts: The Jahrgang (vintage) is crucial for quality and price. People talk about gute (good) or schlechte (bad) Jahrgänge. ("Dieser Wein ist ein Spitzenjahrgang." - This wine is a top vintage.)
• In archives/libraries: Jahrgang refers to the collected issues of a periodical from one year. ("Der 50. Jahrgang der Zeitschrift ist digital verfügbar." - The 50th volume of the magazine is available digitally.)
• In a social context: You might talk about mutual acquaintances from the same Jahrgang (year group). ("Er ist aus meinem Jahrgang." - He's from my year.)

Common collocations include: "ein guter/schlechter Jahrgang" (a good/bad vintage/year group), "der soundsovielte Jahrgang" (the nth volume/year - for publications), "zum selben Jahrgang gehören" (to belong to the same year group).

🧠 Mnemonics for "Jahrgang"

Article Mnemonic: Think of DER Wein (the wine), DER Schüler (the male student), DER Band (the volume/book) - they all belong to a specific Jahrgang. Although 'Jahr' (year) is neuter (das Jahr), the 'Gang' (passage, walk, group) through the year, or the group itself (often historically masculine-coded like in the military), makes it DER Jahrgang.

Meaning Mnemonic: A Jahr (year) takes its Gang (course/passage) and leaves its mark: as a group of people (school class), as a harvest (wine), or as collected works (magazine volume). Everything from one Jahr forms a Jahrgang.

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

😄 A Little Joke

Fragt der Lehrer: "Wer von euch kann mir sagen, was ein Schaltjahr ist?" Meldet sich Fritzchen: "Das ist ein besonders guter Jahrgang, Herr Lehrer!"

Teacher asks: "Who can tell me what a leap year (Schaltjahr) is?" Little Fritz pipes up: "That's a particularly good vintage (Jahrgang), teacher!"

📜 Poem about the Jahrgang

Ein Jahrgang Wein, so alt und fein,
erzählt vom Wetter, Sonnenschein.
Ein Jahrgang Schüler, laut und klar,
blickt auf die Zukunft, Jahr für Jahr.
Ein Jahrgang Hefte, Blatt für Blatt,
hält fest, was man vergessen hat.
Ob Mensch, ob Trank, ob Druckerschwärze,
der Jahrgang trägt Geschichte im Herze.

A vintage wine, so old and fine,
tells of the weather, bright sunshine.
A year group of students, loud and clear,
looks to the future, year by year.
A year's volume of journals, page by page,
holds fast what's forgotten with age.
Be it people, drink, or printer's ink,
the Jahrgang carries history, makes you think.

❓ Riddle

Ich bündle Menschen, Wein und Druck aus einem Jahr,Der J _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I bundle people, wine, and print from a single year,
Sometimes I'm bad, sometimes held dear.
They talk of me in the school class high,
And with noble drops from casks nearby.
With "der" I usually appear. Who am I? It's clear:
Der J _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Solution: Jahrgang (vintage/year group/volume)

🧩 Other Information

Word Composition:

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

• Jahr: The time unit of (approx.) 365 days (year).
• Gang: Here in the sense of course, passage, or also group/cohort that "goes" or originates together.

Trivia:

• For wines, people sometimes speak of "Jahrhundertjahrgängen" (vintages of the century) when the quality was exceptionally good.
• The term is also used in sports to classify athletes born in the same year (e.g., U19-Jahrgang 2005 - the 2005 U19 year group/cohort).