der
Nachdruck
What Does 'der Nachdruck' Actually Mean? 🤔
The German word der Nachdruck has two main meanings:
- 🗣️ Emphasis, Stress, Force: In this sense, der Nachdruck refers to the special stress or weight given to a statement, demand, or request. It's about expressing something with determination or conviction.
Example: Sie bat mit großem Nachdruck um Ruhe. (She asked for quiet with great emphasis.) - 📚 Reprint, Reissue: This meaning refers to the reprinting of a previously published work (e.g., a book, a graphic) after the first edition, often without significant changes to the content.
Example: Der Verlag plant einen Nachdruck des Bestsellers. (The publishing house is planning a reprint of the bestseller.)
⚠️ It's important to consider the context to understand which meaning is intended.
Grammar Corner: Declining Nachdruck 🧐
Der Nachdruck is a masculine noun. It is declined as follows:
Singular Declension
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der | Nachdruck |
| Genitive | des | Nachdrucks / Nachdruckes |
| Dative | dem | Nachdruck / Nachdrucke |
| Accusative | den | Nachdruck |
Plural Declension
The plural form differs depending on the meaning:
- Emphasis/Stress: In this meaning, Nachdruck is mostly used in the singular. A plural form is very rare and unusual.
- Reprint/Reissue: Here, the plural is die Nachdrucke.
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Nachdrucke |
| Genitive | der | Nachdrucke |
| Dative | den | Nachdrucken |
| Accusative | die | Nachdrucke |
Example Sentences
- Er verlieh seinen Worten mit Gesten Nachdruck.
(He added emphasis to his words with gestures.) - Der Professor betonte mit Nachdruck die Wichtigkeit der Hausaufgaben.
(The professor emphasized the importance of the homework with force.) - Ich habe mir einen günstigen Nachdruck des alten Stadtplans gekauft.
(I bought a cheap reprint of the old city map.) - Von diesem seltenen Buch existieren nur wenige Nachdrucke.
(Only a few reprints of this rare book exist.)
When and How to Use Nachdruck? 🗣️📚
The usage of der Nachdruck heavily depends on the intended meaning:
Meaning: Emphasis/Stress
- Context: Communication, discussions, demands, requests.
- Typical Phrases: "mit Nachdruck betonen/fordern/sprechen/ablehnen" (to emphasize/demand/speak/reject with emphasis), "Nachdruck verleihen" (to lend emphasis).
- Application: Used when you want to show that something is particularly important or said with determination. It often implies a certain intensity or urgency.
- Comparison: Stronger than simple Betonung (emphasis); can almost sound like a threat or strong insistence depending on the tone.
Meaning: Reprint/Reissue
- Context: Publishing, book trade, printing industry, art market.
- Typical Phrases: "ein Nachdruck von..." (a reprint of...), "im Nachdruck erscheinen" (to be published as a reprint), "vergriffener Nachdruck" (out-of-print reprint).
- Application: Refers to a copy of a printed product made after the first edition. Often cheaper than original prints or first editions.
- Comparison: Neuauflage (new edition) can also imply content changes, whereas Nachdruck usually implies an unchanged copy. Faksimile is a very faithful reproduction.
Memory Hooks for 'der Nachdruck' 🧠
Article Mnemonic (der): Think of der Druck (pressure/print), which is masculine. Both the 'pressure' (like time pressure) that makes someone say something mit Nachdruck (with emphasis), and the 'print' (like book printing) for a Nachdruck (reprint) are associated with the masculine word der Druck. Therefore: der Nachdruck.
Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine you 'press' (Druck) something 'afterwards' or 'again' (nach-) to emphasize it (🗣️). Or, you 'print' (Druck) a book 'after' (nach) the original (📚). This helps remember both meanings: Emphasis comes nach (after) the first word; a reprint comes nach (after) the first printing.
Similar and Opposite Words ↔️
Synonyms (Similar Meaning)
- For Emphasis/Stress:
- For Reprint/Reissue:
- der Neudruck: (identical) Reprint
- die Neuauflage: New edition (can be revised)
- die Reprint / der Reprint: (Anglicism) Reprint
- das Faksimile: Facsimile (very faithful reproduction)
Antonyms (Opposite Meaning)
- For Emphasis/Stress:
- die Beiläufigkeit: Casually mentioning something
- die Zurückhaltung: Restraint, reservation
- die Gleichgültigkeit: Indifference
- For Reprint/Reissue:
⚠️ Potentially Confusing Words
A Little Joke About Druck 😄
Fragt der Verleger den Autor: "Sollen wir Ihr Buch mit mehr Nachdruck bewerben?"
Antwortet der Autor: "Nein danke, ein einfacher Nachdruck genügt mir völlig!"
Translation:
The publisher asks the author: "Should we promote your book with more Nachdruck (emphasis)?"
The author replies: "No thanks, a simple Nachdruck (reprint) is quite enough for me!"
Nachdruck in Verse 📜
Mit Nachdruck fordert er sein Recht,
Die Stimme fest, die Haltung echt.Kein Zögern, keine leise Bitt',
Er meint es ernst, Schritt für Schritt.
Vom alten Buch, schon leicht vergilbt,
Ein Nachdruck nun die Lücke füllt.
Gedruckt erneut für neue Zeit,
Steht es im Regal bereit.
Translation:
With emphasis he demands his right,
His voice firm, his posture upright.
No hesitation, no quiet plea,
He means it seriously, step by step, you see.
From the old book, already slightly yellowed,
A reprint now fills the gap, hallowed.
Printed anew for modern times,
It stands ready on the shelf, it chimes.
Who or What Am I? A Riddle ❓
Ich kann Worten Gewicht verleihen,
Oder alte Schriften neu einreihen.
Manchmal bin ich nur ein starker Ton,
Manchmal eines Buches zweiter Sohn.
Was bin ich?
Translation:
I can lend weight to words,
Or arrange old writings anew, in herds.
Sometimes I'm just a forceful tone,
Sometimes a book's second son, known.
What am I?
Solution: Der Nachdruck (emphasis / reprint)
Interesting Tidbits 🤓
Word Composition
Der Nachdruck is a compound noun formed from:
- nach-: A prefix meaning 'after', 'again', or 'intensifying'.
- der Druck: A noun meaning 'pressure, compression' (leading to emphasis) and 'printing process, printed matter' (leading to reprint).
The dual meaning of the word thus derives directly from the different meanings of the base word "Druck" combined with the prefix "nach-".
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Nachdruck?
The noun Nachdruck is always masculine. The correct article is der. It has two primary meanings: emphasis/stress (🗣️) and reprint/reissue (📚).