der
Schneider
✂️ What does "der Schneider" mean?
Der Schneider is a masculine noun referring to a person (usually male) whose profession is making or altering clothes. It's a traditional craft.
- Main meaning: A person who tailors (sews, alters, fits) clothes; a tailor.
- Feminine form: The female equivalent is die Schneiderin (the female tailor).
- Note: The word "Schneider" is also a very common German surname.
Article rules for der, die, and das
Male characters → always masculine.
Caution: Most professions also have their feminine forms (e.g. die Polizistin). Some words can also have two forms: der/die Deutsche, der/die Kranke.
-er → mostly masculine.
1. Caution: many exceptions. 2. almost all -euer nouns are neutral. 3. There are many -er words, we don't list them all.
📏 Grammar in Detail: Der Schneider
"Der Schneider" is a masculine noun. It belongs to the weak N-declension for animate beings, but takes a strong -(s) in the genitive singular.
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der | Schneider |
| Genitive | des | Schneiders |
| Dative | dem | Schneider |
| Accusative | den | Schneider |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Schneider |
| Genitive | der | Schneider |
| Dative | den | Schneidern |
| Accusative | die | Schneider |
Example Sentences
- Der Schneider misst den Kunden aus. (The tailor measures the customer.)
- Die Nadel des Schneiders ist sehr spitz. (The tailor's needle is very sharp.)
- Ich gebe dem Schneider meinen Mantel zur Änderung. (I give my coat to the tailor for alteration.)
- Wir haben den Schneider beauftragt, einen Anzug anzufertigen. (We commissioned the tailor to make a suit.)
- Die Schneider treffen sich auf der Handwerksmesse. (The tailors meet at the craft fair.)
- Das ist die Werkstatt der Schneider. (That is the tailors' workshop.)
- Der Designer dankt den Schneidern für ihre Arbeit. (The designer thanks the tailors for their work.)
- Man sieht die Schneider oft mit Maßbändern. (One often sees the tailors with measuring tapes.)
👖 When to use "der Schneider"?
- Job Title: The most common use is to denote the profession. Example: "Er lernte das Handwerk des Schneiders." (He learned the tailor's trade.)
- Surname: "Schneider" is one of the most frequent German last names. Example: "Frau Schneider ruft an." (Mrs. Schneider is calling.)
- Figurative Language (rare): Sometimes found in older idioms, e.g., "frieren wie ein Schneider" (to freeze like a tailor, meaning to be extremely cold). The origin is unclear, possibly because tailors often worked in drafty workshops or were considered rather poor.
- Distinction: "Der Schneider" refers to the person. The shop or workshop is called die Schneiderei (the tailor shop).
🧠 Mnemonics for "der Schneider"
Remembering the Article: Der Mann schneidet - he is der Schneider. (The ending -er often indicates masculine professions in German. Like teacher, baker... Schneider! And it's 'der Mann', so 'der Schneider'.)
Remembering the Meaning: A Schneider uses schnips of thread and schneidet (cuts) fabric. It sounds like snip and cut!
🔄 Related and Opposite Terms
Synonyms (Similar Meaning):
- Maßschneider: Bespoke tailor, specialist in custom-made clothing.
- Herrenschneider / Damenschneider: Men's tailor / Dressmaker, specializing in clothing for men or women respectively.
Antonyms (Opposites):
Direct antonyms for professions are rare. Conceptually, one could contrast with:
- Kunde / Auftraggeber: Customer / Client, the person using the tailor's services.
- Industrielle Fertigung: Industrial manufacturing, as opposed to the craft of tailoring.
⚠️ Watch out, don't confuse:
- Schneiderei (die): Tailor shop, the place where the Schneider works.
- Schneiderpuppe (die): Mannequin or dress form used for fitting clothes.
- Messer (das): Knife, a tool for cutting, but not specific to the profession.
😄 A Little Joke
Warum hat der Schneider immer gute Laune?
Weil er immer den richtigen Dreh raushat! 😄
(Why is the tailor always in a good mood? Because he always knows how to get the hang of things! - This is a pun: "den Dreh raus haben" means "to know the knack/how to do something", but "Dreh" can also refer to turning/twisting, perhaps like thread on a spool.)
✍️ A Poem about the Tailor
Der Schneider, flink mit Nadel, Faden,
kennt Stoffe, Schnitte, ohne Gnaden.
Er misst und zwickt, er näht geschwind,
dass Hose, Rock perfekt dir sind.
Ein Meister seines Fachs, agil,
verleiht der Kleidung Stilgefühl.
(The tailor, quick with needle, thread,
knows fabrics, cuts, without dread.
He measures, pinches, sews with speed,
so trousers, skirt fit your need.
A master of his craft, agile,
gives clothing stylish profile.)
🧠 Who or what am I?
Ich arbeite mit Schere, Nadel und Garn,
mach' aus Stoffen Kleider, fein und warm.
Ich nehme Maß und änd're, was nicht passt,
damit du gut gekleidet bist, ohne Hast.
Wer bin ich?
... Der Schneider
(I work with scissors, needle, and yarn,
make clothes from fabrics, fine and warm.
I take measurements and alter what doesn't fit,
so you are well-dressed, without rushing a bit.
Who am I? ... The Tailor)
Varia & Trivia
- Etymology: The word "Schneider" derives directly from the verb schneiden (to cut), describing the main activity of the profession.
- Surname: As mentioned, "Schneider" is one of the most common German last names, indicating the historical prevalence of this craft.
- Fairy Tale "Das tapfere Schneiderlein": (The Valiant Little Tailor) is a famous fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm about a tailor who gains renown through cunning and luck ("Seven at one blow!").
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Schneider?
The word "Schneider" is masculine. The correct article is der: der Schneider. It primarily refers to a male professional craftsman who makes or alters clothes (tailor), or a common surname.
