der
Winkel
📐 What exactly is a 'Winkel'?
The word der Winkel has several meanings, often related to the concept of a corner or a secluded place:
- Geometry: The figure formed by two rays starting from the same point (the Scheitelpunkt or vertex). It's often measured in degrees (e.g., ein rechter Winkel - a right angle - has 90 degrees).
- Corner: The point or area where two lines, surfaces, or edges meet, e.g., the corner of a room or a table (in den Winkel stellen - to put in the corner).
- Secluded Place: A niche, a remote, often quiet or hidden spot (ein stiller Winkel im Garten - a quiet corner in the garden).
Since the article is always 'der', there's no confusion arising from different articles.
Article rules for der, die, and das
-el → mostly masculine.
1. Caution: many exceptions. 2. there are many -el words, we don't list them all.
🧐 Grammar Under the Microscope: Der Winkel
'Der Winkel' is a masculine noun.
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Subject) | der | Winkel |
| Genitive (Possessive) | des | Winkels |
| Dative (Indirect Object) | dem | Winkel |
| Accusative (Direct Object) | den | Winkel |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Winkel |
| Genitive | der | Winkel |
| Dative | den | Winkeln |
| Accusative | die | Winkel |
Example Sentences
- Der rechte Winkel misst 90 Grad.
(The right angle measures 90 degrees.) - Stell den Stuhl bitte in den Winkel des Zimmers.
(Please put the chair in the corner of the room.) - Er zog sich in einen stillen Winkel zurück, um zu lesen.
(He retreated to a quiet corner to read.) - Aus diesem Winkel betrachtet, sieht das Bild ganz anders aus.
(Viewed from this angle, the picture looks completely different.) - Im letzten Winkel des Kellers fanden sie alte Briefe.
(In the furthest corner of the cellar, they found old letters.)
🎯 When to use 'Winkel'?
The use of der Winkel depends on the context:
- Mathematics/Physics: Here it clearly refers to defined geometric angles (spitzer Winkel - acute angle, stumpfer Winkel - obtuse angle, Auftreffwinkel - angle of incidence).
- Spatial: It describes physical corners in rooms, on buildings, or furniture (Zimmerwinkel - room corner, Hauswinkel - building corner).
- Figurative: It can denote a remote place, a niche, or also a perspective or viewpoint (alle Winkel des Problems betrachten - to consider all angles of the problem, ein dunkler Winkel der Stadt - a dark corner of the city).
- Idioms: There are fixed expressions like "im toten Winkel sein" (to be in the blind spot) or "jemanden in die Winkel treiben" (to corner someone, drive them into a tight spot).
Compared to Ecke (corner), Winkel is often more precise for the geometric term or emphasizes the remoteness/hidden nature of a place.
🧠 Mnemonics for 'der Winkel'
Article Mnemonic: Think of a builder WINKing (sounds like Wink-el) as he perfectly measures an angle (Winkel) – builders are often men (der).
Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine something tiny TWINKLing (sounds like Winkel) in the corner of your eye (Augenwinkel) or a geometric angle.
🔄 Similar and Opposing Terms
Synonyms
- Ecke: (often interchangeable for physical corners)
- Nische: (niche, for a secluded small place)
- Gradmaß: (degree measure, specifically for geometric angles)
- Blickwinkel/Perspektive: (viewpoint/perspective, in a figurative sense)
- Kante: (edge, where two surfaces meet, related but not identical)
⚠️ Be careful: The verb winken (to wave) sounds similar but means to give a signal with the hand.
😂 A Little Joke
German: Warum haben Geometrielehrer immer kalte Füße? Weil sie ständig im rechten Winkel stehen!
English: Why do geometry teachers always have cold feet? Because they are always standing at a right angle!
✍️ A Poem About 'der Winkel'
German:
Im Zimmer, still und ungestört,
Ein dunkler Winkel, unerhört.
Doch auch die Geometrie ihn kennt,
Wo Strahl auf Strahl am Punkt entbrennt.
Ob spitz, ob stumpf, ob grad, ob krumm,
Der Winkel bleibt nie völlig stumm.
English Translation:
In the room, silent and undisturbed,
A dark corner, unheard of.
But geometry knows it too,
Where ray meets ray at the point anew.
Whether acute, obtuse, straight, or bent,
The angle never remains completely silent.
❓ Little Riddle
German:
Ich habe keinen Mund, doch einen Scheitel.
Ich treffe Linien, bin selten eitel.
Mal bin ich spitz, mal bin ich recht,
Mal find'st du mich im Raum, ganz schlecht
Beleuchtet, still und abgelegen.
Wer bin ich wohl, auf allen Wegen?
English Translation:
I have no mouth, but I have a vertex.
I meet lines, am rarely vain.
Sometimes I'm acute, sometimes I'm right,
Sometimes you find me in a room, quite poorly
Lit, quiet and remote.
Who am I then, on every road?
Solution: Der Winkel (the angle/corner)
💡 Other Interesting Facts
Word Composition (Wortzusammensetzung): The word 'Winkel' can be part of compound nouns, e.g.:
- Augenwinkel: The corner of the eye.
- Blickwinkel: Perspective, viewpoint.
- Toter Winkel: Blind spot (e.g., in a car's mirror).
- Winkeladvokat: (derogatory) An unqualified or disreputable legal advisor, historically one who might practice secretly 'in a corner'.
Etymology: The word derives from the Old High German 'winkil', which also meant corner or bend.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Winkel?
The German word Winkel is always masculine. The correct article is der Winkel. It refers to a corner, a geometric angle, or a secluded place.