der  Weltkrieg

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈvɛltˌkʁiːk/

🌍 What does "der Weltkrieg" mean?

Der Weltkrieg (noun, masculine) refers to a war that involves a large part of the world, especially the major powers across multiple continents. In German, the term usually refers specifically to World War I (der Erste Weltkrieg, 1914-1918) or World War II (der Zweite Weltkrieg, 1939-1945).

It is a compound word formed from Welt (world) and Krieg (war).

• Meaning 1: A global military conflict involving many nations worldwide.

🚨 The article is always der, because the base word "Krieg" is masculine (der Krieg - the war).

Article rules for der, die, and das

📜 Grammar of "Weltkrieg" in Detail

"Weltkrieg" is a masculine noun. Here is its declension:

Singular

Plural

💡 Example Sentences

1. Der Erste Weltkrieg begann 1914.
   (World War I began in 1914.)
2. Die Schrecken des Zweiten Weltkrieges sind unvergessen.
   (The horrors of the Second World War are unforgettable.)
3. Manche befürchten die Gefahr eines dritten Weltkriegs.
   (Some fear the danger of a third World War.)
4. Die Geschichte der Weltkriege ist ein wichtiges Thema im Unterricht.
   (The history of the World Wars is an important topic in class.)

🗣️ How to use "Weltkrieg"?

The term Weltkrieg is primarily used in historical and political contexts.

• Historical Context: Most commonly, it refers to World War I (der Erste Weltkrieg) or World War II (der Zweite Weltkrieg). These are sometimes also called "der Große Krieg" (the Great War, archaic for WWI) or specifically named with their ordinal numbers.
• Hypothetical Context: Sometimes, a potential Third World War (ein Dritter Weltkrieg) is discussed, often in relation to global tensions or fears of nuclear war.
• Figurative Meaning: Less commonly and more metaphorically, "Weltkrieg" can describe a very extensive, intense conflict in other areas (e.g., "Handelsweltkrieg" - trade world war), but this is not the primary meaning.

⚠️ Avoid using the term inflationarily or in a trivializing way for smaller conflicts.

🧠 Mnemonics to Remember

Article Mnemonic: Remember der Krieg (the war). War is often seen as a dominant, historically male-associated activity. When this Krieg involves the whole Welt (world), it grammatically stays masculine: der Weltkrieg.

Meaning Mnemonic: Break down the word: Welt (world) + Krieg (war). It's simply a war that affects the (entire) world. Imagine a world map (Weltkarte) with conflicts (Krieg) flaring up everywhere – a Welt-Krieg.

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

Potentially Confusing Words:

• Bürgerkrieg: Civil war (a war within one country).
• Kalter Krieg: Cold War (a conflict without direct military engagement between the main adversaries, e.g., USA vs. USSR).

😄 A Little Joke

German: Fragt der Geschichtslehrer: "Wer kann mir etwas über die Ursachen des Ersten Weltkriegs erzählen?" Meldet sich Fritzchen: "Ja, bitte! Es gab da wohl ein Attentat... aber ich glaube, der Fahrer des Erzherzogs hat einfach eine Abbiegung verpasst und ist zufällig beim Attentäter gelandet. Das Navi war wohl noch nicht erfunden!"

English Translation: The history teacher asks: "Who can tell me something about the causes of the First World War?" Little Fritz raises his hand: "Yes, please! There was an assassination... but I think the Archduke's driver just missed a turn and accidentally ended up right where the assassin was. GPS probably wasn't invented yet!"

(Note: This is a humorous exaggeration simplifying historical complexity.)

📜 Poem about the Word

Welt im Krieg

Die Welt in Flammen, Land um Land,
Ein Krieg, der Kontinente band.
Von Schützengräben bis zum Meer,
Lastet die Not, so unendlich schwer.
Der Weltkrieg, ein Mahnmal, kalt und grau,
Auf dass die Menschheit daraus werd' schlau.

---

English Translation:

World at War

The world in flames, land after land,
A war that continents did band.
From trenches deep down to the sea,
Pressed hardship, infinitely.
The World War, a memorial cold and grey,
So that humanity might learn the way.

❓ Little Riddle

German:

Ich trug die Welt in meinem Namen,
Zwei Mal schon Völker zu mir kamen.
Ich brachte Leid und große Not,
Und färbte Länder blutig rot.
Mein Ende sehnten alle herbei,
Man zählt mich meistens eins und zwei.

Was bin ich? Lösung: Der Weltkrieg

---

English Translation:

I bore the world within my name,
Twice peoples to my calling came.
I brought forth suffering and great plight,
And painted countries bloody bright.
My end was longed for by all sides,
They count me mostly one and two besides.

What am I? Answer: Der Weltkrieg (The World War)

➕ Other Information

Word Composition:

The word "Weltkrieg" is a compound noun, composed of:

• die Welt: the world (refers to the global scale).
• der Krieg: the war (refers to the military conflict). The gender of the base word (Krieg) determines the gender of the compound noun (der Weltkrieg).

Trivia:

• The term "Weltkrieg" (World War) only became common during or after World War I to describe the global scale of that conflict. Before that, it was often referred to as "der Große Krieg" (the Great War).
• The designation "Zweiter Weltkrieg" (Second World War) was established only when the conflict from 1939-1945 also took on global dimensions.