der  Meter

📏 What does 'der Meter' mean?

Der Meter (abbreviation: m) is the base unit of length in the International System of Units (SI) and the metric system. In English, this is the metre (UK) or meter (US). It is defined as the distance travelled by light in a vacuum during a time interval of 1/299,792,458 of a second.

In everyday language, der Meter simply refers to a unit of measurement for lengths, distances, or sizes.

⚠️ The article is always 'der' for this meaning as a unit of measurement. Confusion with other words is rare.

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar of 'der Meter' in Detail

The noun 'der Meter' is masculine. Here is its declension:

Singular Declension

Plural Declension

Example Sentences

1. Der Tisch ist genau einen Meter lang.
   (The table is exactly one meter long.)
2. Die Entfernung beträgt mehrere tausend Meter.
   (The distance is several thousand meters.)
3. Er sprang zwei Meter weit.
   (He jumped two meters far.)
4. Bitte messen Sie die Länge in Metern.
   (Please measure the length in meters.)

💡 Using 'der Meter' in Context

'Der Meter' is used to specify lengths, heights, depths, and distances. It's the fundamental unit in the metric system, which is standard in Germany and many other countries.

• Measurements: Height of a tree (e.g., 15 Meter hoch - 15 meters high), length of fabric (e.g., 3 Meter Stoff - 3 meters of fabric), depth of a swimming pool (e.g., 2 Meter tief - 2 meters deep).
• Sports: Distances in running events (e.g., 100-Meter-Lauf - 100-meter race), lengths in jumps.
• Construction & Crafts: Dimensions of rooms, materials, etc.
• Geography & Navigation: Altitude indications (Meter über dem Meeresspiegel - meters above sea level), shorter distances.

Multiples or fractions are often used, like Kilometer (km, 1000 meters) or Zentimeter (cm, 1/100 meter).

🧠 Mnemonics for 'der Meter'

Article Mnemonic: Think of der ruler. A ruler is often associated with measurement, like a Meter, and 'ruler' sounds a bit like a male title ('der' is masculine). So remember: der Meter.

Meaning Mnemonic: The word Meter looks and sounds very similar to the English words 'meter' or 'metre', which both refer to the unit of length. It's also related to the verb 'to mete out', meaning to measure or distribute.

🔄 Synonyms and Related Terms

As 'Meter' is a specific unit of measurement, there are no direct synonyms in the sense of interchangeable words.

Related Terms (Other Units):

• Kilometer (km): 1000 Meter
• Zentimeter (cm): 1/100 Meter
• Millimeter (mm): 1/1000 Meter
• Fuß (ft): Foot (approx. 0.3048 Meter)
• Zoll (in): Inch (approx. 0.0254 Meter)
• Elle: Historical unit of length (ell), varying in size

Hypernyms (Broader Terms):

• Maßeinheit: Unit of measurement
• Längeneinheit: Unit of length
• SI-Einheit: SI unit

Potentially Confusing Words:

Hardly any risk of confusion in German, as the meaning as a unit of measurement is very clear.

😄 A Little Joke on the Side

German: Fragt der Lehrer: "Wenn ich fünf Meter Wurst habe und jeden Tag einen Meter abschneide, wann habe ich das letzte Stück abgeschnitten?" Schüler: "Am vierten Tag!" Lehrer: "Nein, am fünften Tag!" Schüler: "Aber Herr Lehrer, am vierten Tag schneiden Sie doch das vierte und fünfte Stück auf einmal ab!"

Translation: The teacher asks: "If I have five meters of sausage and cut off one meter every day, when did I cut off the last piece?" Student: "On the fourth day!" Teacher: "No, on the fifth day!" Student: "But teacher, on the fourth day you cut off the fourth and fifth pieces at once!"

🎤 A Poem about the Meter

German:
Der Meter, stolz und exakt,
hält die Welt im Längen-Takt.
Von Paris kam einst sein Maß,
ob groß, ob klein, er misst mit Spaß.
Mal hundert Zentimeter klein,
mal tausendfach als Kilometer rein.
Der Meter, ja, das ist der Mann,
der Längen messen kann!

Translation:
The Meter, proud and exact,
keeps the world in the rhythm of length.
From Paris once came its measure,
whether big or small, it measures with pleasure.
Sometimes a hundred centimeters small,
sometimes a thousandfold as a kilometer tall.
The Meter, yes, that is the one (lit. 'the man'),
who can measure length for everyone!

❓ Riddle Time: What am I?

German:
Ich messe hoch, ich messe weit,
bin eine Einheit für die Länglichkeit.
Hundert Zentimeter passen in mich rein,
mein Artikel ist männlich, das muss sein.

Was bin ich?

Translation:
I measure high, I measure wide,
I am a unit for length, with stride.
One hundred centimeters fit inside,
My article is masculine, nowhere to hide.

What am I?

Solution: der Meter (the meter/metre)

📚 Interesting Facts about the Meter

• Origin: Der Meter wurde ursprünglich während der Französischen Revolution definiert als der zehnmillionste Teil der Entfernung vom Nordpol zum Äquator entlang des Meridians von Paris. (The meter was originally defined during the French Revolution as one ten-millionth of the distance from the North Pole to the Equator along the meridian of Paris.)
• Modern Definition: Seit 1983 basiert die Definition auf der Lichtgeschwindigkeit im Vakuum, was eine sehr hohe Präzision ermöglicht. (Since 1983, the definition has been based on the speed of light in a vacuum, allowing for very high precision.)
• Symbol: Das internationale Symbol für Meter ist 'm'. (The international symbol for meter is 'm'.)
• Prevalence: Das metrische System mit dem Meter als Basiseinheit ist weltweit am weitesten verbreitet, mit Ausnahme weniger Länder wie den USA, Liberia und Myanmar, die noch primär das imperiale System verwenden. (The metric system, with the meter as its base unit, is the most widely used system worldwide, except for a few countries like the USA, Liberia, and Myanmar, which primarily still use the imperial system.)