der  Stern

A1

Estimated CEFR level.

/ʃtɛʁn/

✨ What's shining there? The Meaning of 'Stern'

The word der Stern (noun, masculine) has several meanings:

• Celestial body: The most common meaning. A self-luminous celestial body made of gas and plasma, like our sun. Example: Am Nachthimmel kann man viele Sterne sehen. (You can see many stars in the night sky.) ✨
• Geometric shape/Symbol: A figure usually with five or more points, often used symbolically (e.g., on flags, as an award). Example: Sie malte einen gelben Stern auf das Papier. (She drew a yellow star on the paper.) ⭐
• Award/Rating: Often used in the plural (Sterne) to rate quality (e.g., hotel stars, restaurant stars). Example: Das Hotel hat fünf Sterne. (The hotel has five stars.) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Famous personality (colloquial): Sometimes the English loanword 'Star' is Germanized as 'Stern' to refer to a famous person (movie star, pop star). However, this is more colloquial and less common than using 'Star'. Example: Er ist der neue Stern am Pophimmel. (He is the new star in the pop sky.) 🌟

🚨 Attention: Although 'Star' (English for Stern) is often used for celebrities, the German word 'der Stern' is less formal in this meaning.

Article rules for der, die, and das

🪐 Grammar in the Firmament: Declension of 'der Stern'

Der Stern is a masculine noun. It is declined as follows:

Example Sentences for Grammar

1. Der Stern leuchtet hell am Himmel. (The star shines brightly in the sky. - Nominative Singular)
2. Das Licht des Sterns braucht Jahre, um uns zu erreichen. (The light of the star takes years to reach us. - Genitive Singular)
3. Ich wünsche mir etwas von einem fallenden Stern. (I wish for something from a falling star. - Dative Singular)
4. Er beobachtet den Polarstern. (He observes the North Star. - Accusative Singular)
5. Die Sterne funkeln in der Nacht. (The stars twinkle in the night. - Nominative Plural)
6. Die Beobachtung der Sterne ist faszinierend. (The observation of the stars is fascinating. - Genitive Plural)
7. Wir folgen den Sternen nach Norden. (We follow the stars northward. - Dative Plural)
8. Kannst du die vielen Sterne zählen? (Can you count the many stars? - Accusative Plural)

When to Use 'der Stern'? 🔭

Der Stern is used in various contexts:

• Astronomy & Natural Science: The primary use refers to celestial bodies. Here the term is clearly defined. Example: Die Sonne ist der uns nächste Stern. (The sun is the closest star to us.)
• Symbolism & Decoration: Stars as geometric shapes are common motifs in art, design, and heraldry. Example: Der Sheriff trug einen Stern an der Brust. (The sheriff wore a star on his chest.) Der Weihnachtsbaum ist mit Sternen geschmückt. (The Christmas tree is decorated with stars.)
• Rating Systems: Especially in tourism and gastronomy, stars are an established quality seal. Example: Dieses Restaurant wurde mit einem Michelin-Stern ausgezeichnet. (This restaurant was awarded a Michelin star.)
• Colloquial Language (rarely for people): As mentioned, it can colloquially mean a famous person, but 'Star' is more common here. Example: Sie hofft, ein großer Filmstern zu werden. (She hopes to become a big movie star. - Rather unusual, 'Filmstar' is better)

Differentiation: A Stern (star) shines by itself; a Planet (planet) is illuminated. A Komet (comet) is a small celestial body of ice and dust with a tail. A Meteor (meteor/shooting star, also known as Sternschnuppe) is the light phenomenon when a meteoroid burns up in the atmosphere.

Remember the Star! 🧠

Article Mnemonic (der): Think of der Himmel (the sky) where you see der Stern. Both start with 'der' and are related. Alternatively, imagine a strong, masculine superhero wearing a star (Stern) on his chest - it's DER hero with DER Stern.

Meaning Mnemonic: A Stern has sharp Spikes (like the shape), it Shines (like the celestial body), and sometimes stands for Superstars (like the celebrity). The 'S' helps link the different meanings.

🌌 Related & Opposite Terms in the Starry Sky

😂 A Stellar Joke

Fragt ein kleiner Stern seine Mutter: "Mama, sind wir eigentlich reich?"
Sagt die Mutter: "Nein, mein Kind. Wir sind Astro-nomisch!" 😉

Translation:
A little star asks his mother: "Mom, are we rich?"
The mother says: "No, my child. We are Astro-nomical!" (Pun on 'astronomisch' - astronomical - and 'nomisch' sounding like 'not rich' in a playful way, or simply implying vast, uncountable amounts like stars.)

📜 Poem: Little Star

Ein kleiner Stern am Himmelszelt,
hat sich die Welt von fern bestellt.
Er funkelt hell, so klar und rein,
möcht' gern ein großer Bruder sein.
Er sieht herab auf Stadt und Land,
der Stern, von Gottes Hand gesandt.

Translation:
A little star in the firmament,
has ordered the world from afar.
It sparkles bright, so clear and pure,
would like to be a big brother.
It looks down on city and country,
the star, sent by God's hand.

❓ Star Riddle

Ich leuchte nachts, doch bin kein Mond,
hab Zacken, doch kein Tier bewohnt.
Bin auf Flaggen und im All zuhaus,
und mancher Held trägt mich zur Schau.

Was bin ich?

Translation:
I shine at night, but am no moon,
have points, but no animal lives inside.
I'm found on flags and in space at home,
and many a hero wears me for show.

What am I?

Solution: Der Stern (The Star)

🌠 More About Stars

Word Compounds (Wortzusammensetzungen)

Der Stern is part of many compound words in German:

• Der Sternenhimmel: The starry sky.
• Das Sternbild: Constellation (a pattern of stars, e.g., Big Dipper/Großer Wagen).
• Die Sternschnuppe: Shooting star/meteor.
• Die Sternstunde: A finest hour, a moment of great significance.
• Der Seestern: Starfish (sea creature with a star shape).
• Der Weihnachtsstern: Poinsettia plant or Christmas star decoration.

Etymology

The German word 'Stern' comes from the Old High German 'sterno' and is related to similar words in other Germanic languages (cf. English 'star', Dutch 'ster') and Indo-European languages (cf. Latin 'stella', Greek 'aster'). The root likely means 'scatterer' (of light).