die  Absicht

A2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈʔapzɪçt/

🎯 What does "die Absicht" mean?

Die Absicht (noun, feminine) describes a conscious plan, a goal, or an intention to do or achieve something specific. It's about the will behind an action.

• Main meaning: The conscious will or plan to do something; intention, plan, purpose, aim.

Example: Sie hatte die feste Absicht, die Prüfung zu bestehen. (She had the firm intention to pass the exam.)

⚠️ Sometimes Absicht is also used to describe an (often negative) ulterior motive or hidden motivation.

Example: Er tat es nicht aus Freundlichkeit, sondern verfolgte damit eine bestimmte Absicht. (He didn't do it out of kindness, but pursued a specific motive/purpose with it.)

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar of "die Absicht" in Detail

The noun "Absicht" is feminine. Therefore, the article is "die".

📝 Application Examples

1. Er hatte die klare Absicht, sie zu besuchen. (He had the clear intention to visit her.)
2. Trotz seiner guten Absichten ging alles schief. (Despite his good intentions, everything went wrong. - Genitive Plural)
3. Was war der Grund seiner Absicht? (What was the reason for his intention? - Genitive Singular)
4. Ich glaube an die Ehrlichkeit ihrer Absicht. (I believe in the honesty of her intention. - Dative Singular)
5. Niemand zweifelte an ihren guten Absichten. (Nobody doubted her good intentions. - Dative Plural)
6. Sie verfolgte ihre Absicht mit großer Entschlossenheit. (She pursued her intention with great determination. - Accusative Singular)

💡 How "Absicht" is used

"Absicht" is often used in specific phrases:

• mit Absicht: intentionally, deliberately, on purpose.
  Example: Er hat das Glas mit Absicht fallen lassen. (He dropped the glass on purpose.)
• ohne Absicht: unintentionally, accidentally.
  Example: Ich habe dich ohne Absicht angerempelt. (I bumped into you unintentionally.)
• die Absicht haben zu + Infinitive: to intend to, to plan to.
  Example: Wir haben die Absicht, nächstes Jahr nach Italien zu reisen. (We intend to travel to Italy next year.)
• gute/schlechte Absichten haben: to have good/bad intentions.
  Example: Er mag freundlich wirken, aber ich traue seinen Absichten nicht. (He might seem friendly, but I don't trust his intentions.)
• in böser Absicht handeln: to act with malicious intent.

Distinguishing from similar words:

• Ziel (goal): The concrete result one wants to achieve. Die Absicht is the will to reach the Ziel. (Absicht: to win; Ziel: the trophy)
• Zweck (purpose): The benefit or sense of an action or object. Often related to functionality. (Absicht: to learn; Zweck des Buches: to impart knowledge)
• Vorsatz (resolution): A firm decision, often made at the beginning of a new period (e.g., New Year's resolution). Very similar to Absicht, but emphasizes the decisiveness more strongly.

🧠 Mnemonics for Absicht

For the article "die": Think of die Intention or die Motivation – both are concepts often associated with planning or will, and like die Absicht, they are feminine in German (often words ending in -ion, -tät, -ung, -schaft, -heit, -keit are feminine).

For the meaning: Imagine someone aiming ('ab-sehen') with 'sight' ('Sicht') towards a target. They have the Absicht (intention) to hit it. The word combines 'Ab-' (off, towards) and 'Sicht' (sight).

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

⚠️ Watch out for similar-sounding words:

• Ansicht: view, opinion, perspective (sounds similar but means something different!)

😄 A Little Joke

Fragt der Lehrer: "Fritzchen, warum kommst du schon wieder zu spät?"
Fritzchen: "Entschuldigen Sie, Herr Lehrer, aber es war nicht meine Absicht!"
Lehrer: "Ach ja? Und was war dann deine Absicht?"
Fritzchen: "Gar nicht erst zu kommen!"

Teacher asks: "Fritzchen, why are you late again?"
Fritzchen: "Excuse me, teacher, but it wasn't my intention!"
Teacher: "Oh really? And what was your intention then?"
Fritzchen: "Not to come at all!"

📜 Poem about Intention

Die Absicht, klar und rein,
soll Kompass dir im Leben sein.
Ein Ziel vor Augen, fest im Sinn,
führt dich zum großen Gewinn.

Doch Vorsicht, wenn sie sich versteckt,
und Falschheit hinter Worten steckt.
Prüf' stets den Kern, den wahren Grund,
dann bleibst du auf dem Rechten gesund.

The intention, clear and pure,
should be your compass, life's allure.
A goal in sight, held firm in mind,
leads you to the greatest find.

But careful when it hides away,
and falsehood lurks in what words say.
Always check the core, the reason true,
then on the right path, you'll stay healthy too.

❓ Riddle

Ich bin ein Plan in deinem Kopf,
ein Wunsch, ein Ziel, ein erster Tropf,
aus dem ein Handeln werden kann.
Mal gut, mal schlecht – wer bin ich dann?

I am a plan within your head,
A wish, a goal, a first drop shed,
From which an action can arise.
Sometimes good, sometimes bad – what's my guise?

Solution: die Absicht (the intention)

🧩 Other Information

Word Origin: The word "Absicht" derives from Middle High German "abesiht", meaning something like "looking towards something". It is related to the verb "absehen" in the sense of "to aim at something".

Common Collocations: feste Absicht (firm intention), klare Absicht (clear intention), gute/böse Absicht (good/bad intention), die Absicht verfolgen/haben/hegen (to pursue/have/harbor the intention).