der
Schnupfen
🤧 What exactly is 'Schnupfen'?
Der Schnupfen is the German word for a common illness affecting the upper respiratory tract, especially the nasal mucous membrane. In English, this typically translates to the common cold or more specifically, the sniffles or a runny/stuffy nose.
Typical symptoms include a runny or blocked nose (eine laufende oder verstopfte Nase), sneezing (Niesen), and sometimes a slight fever (leichtes Fieber) or headache (Kopfschmerzen).
Essentially, der Schnupfen is the inflammation of the nasal mucous membranes, usually caused by viruses (Viren).
🚨 Attention: Although often used interchangeably in colloquial German, die Grippe (the flu / influenza) is a more serious illness than der Schnupfen (the common cold).
Article rules for der, die, and das
Precipitation, wind → almost always masculine.
Caution: see exceptions
-en → mostly masculine.
1. All diminutives with '-chen' are neutral, like 'das Mädchen'. 2. Nouns derived from verbs are always neutral ('das Schrieben'). 3. There are many -en words, we won't list them all.
🧐 Grammar: 'Der Schnupfen' in Detail
The word "Schnupfen" is a masculine noun. Its article is therefore der.
| Case | Definite Article | Indefinite Article | English Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der Schnupfen | ein Schnupfen | Subject |
| Genitive | des Schnupfens | eines Schnupfens | Possessive |
| Dative | dem Schnupfen | einem Schnupfen | Indirect Object |
| Accusative | den Schnupfen | einen Schnupfen | Direct Object |
| Case | Definite Article | Indefinite Article | English Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die Schnupfen | - Schnupfen | Subject |
| Genitive | der Schnupfen | - Schnupfen | Possessive |
| Dative | den Schnupfen | - Schnupfen | Indirect Object |
| Accusative | die Schnupfen | - Schnupfen | Direct Object |
Note: The plural "die Schnupfen" is rarely used. It usually refers to repeated bouts of colds or different types of colds.
Example Sentences
- Ich habe mir einen schlimmen Schnupfen eingefangen.
(I caught a bad cold.) - Wegen des Schnupfens konnte er kaum atmen.
(Because of the cold, he could hardly breathe.) - Mit diesem Schnupfen sollte man zu Hause bleiben.
(With this cold, one should stay at home.) - Der Arzt behandelt den Schnupfen mit Nasenspray.
(The doctor treats the cold with nasal spray.)
🗣️ Everyday Usage: When to use 'Schnupfen'?
Der Schnupfen is used very frequently in everyday German to describe a common cold or specifically the symptoms of a runny or stuffy nose.
- Typical Phrases: "einen Schnupfen haben" (to have a cold), "einen Schnupfen bekommen" (to get a cold), "sich einen Schnupfen holen" (to catch a cold), "vom Schnupfen geplagt sein" (to be plagued by a cold).
- Context: Mostly used when talking about illness, feeling unwell, autumn/winter, or changes in weather.
- Distinctions:
- Die Erkältung: Often synonymous with Schnupfen, but can also encompass broader cold symptoms like cough (Husten) and sore throat (Halsschmerzen). Schnupfen focuses more specifically on the nose.
- Die Rhinitis: The medical term for Schnupfen (inflammation of the nasal lining). Used more in a medical context.
- Der Heuschnupfen: Hay fever, an allergic reaction (allergische Rhinitis), not an infectious cold.
You can also say "Meine Nase läuft" (My nose is running) or "Ich bin verschnupft" (I have the sniffles / I'm congested) to describe the symptoms.
💡 Mnemonics to Help Remember
Remembering the Article (der): Imagine a strong man (associated with 'der') suffering loudly from a cold, making 'Schnupf!' sounds. Der Mann hat den Schnupfen.
Remembering the Meaning: The word Schnupfen sounds a bit like the English word "sniff" or the sound you make when you have a runny nose: "Schnupf!" It involves sniffling and needing tissues.
🔄 Similar and Opposite Terms
Synonyms (Similar Meaning):
- Die Erkältung: Very common synonym, often used more broadly for 'common cold'.
- Die Rhinitis: Medical term.
- Der Fließschnupfen: Emphasizes a runny nose.
- Der Stockschnupfen: Emphasizes a stuffy/blocked nose.
- Colloquial: die Triefnase (drippy nose)
Antonyms (Opposite Meaning):
- Die Gesundheit: Health, the general state of well-being.
- Das Wohlbefinden: Well-being, feeling healthy and fit.
Potential Confusion:
- Der Heuschnupfen: Hay fever (allergy), not a cold.
- schnupfen (verb): Can mean 'to sniffle' but also 'to snort (e.g., tobacco)'.
😂 A Little Joke
German: Warum hat das Taschentuch schlechte Laune? – Weil es ständig die Nase voll hat!
English: Why is the tissue in a bad mood? – Because it's always fed up! (Literally: Because it constantly has its nose full! – a pun on "die Nase voll haben", meaning "to be fed up").
📜 Poem about 'der Schnupfen'
German:
Die Nase läuft, der Kopf tut weh,
der Schnupfen kam, ohjemine!
Man schnieft und hustet, Tag und Nacht,
hat an Taschentücher gedacht.
Doch bald schon ist er überwunden,
die Gesundheit neu gefunden.
English Translation:
The nose runs, the head aches,
the cold arrived, oh dear!
One sniffles and coughs, day and night,
having thought of tissues right.
But soon it's overcome and gone,
health is newly found, anon.
❓ Little Riddle
German:
Ich komme oft, wenn's kälter wird,
mach' deine Nase rot und schwirrt.
Du brauchst viel Tee und Ruh im Bett,
Taschentücher im Duett.
Was bin ich?
English:
I often come when it gets colder,
make your nose red and make you shudder.
You need lots of tea and rest in bed,
tissues paired up, it's often said.
What am I?
... Der Schnupfen (the cold/sniffles)
🧩 Other Information
- Word Origin: The noun comes from the verb "schnupfen", which originally meant "to snort", "to breathe heavily through the nose" or "to take snuff (tobacco)".
- Diminutive Form: Sometimes you might hear "das Schnüpfchen", usually as an endearing term or for a very mild cold.
- Cultural Note: In Germany, a Schnupfen is generally considered a minor, though annoying, ailment. Sayings like "Ein Schnupfen kommt drei Tage, bleibt drei Tage und geht drei Tage" (A cold comes for three days, stays for three days, and leaves for three days) are common.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Schnupfen?
The German word for the common cold or sniffles, Schnupfen, is masculine. The correct article is der. Example: "Ich habe den Schnupfen" (I have the cold).