die
Altersgruppe
🎯 What exactly is an Altersgruppe?
Die Altersgruppe (noun, feminine) refers to a group of people who are of a similar age. It is often used in statistics, sociology, marketing, and everyday language to categorize people according to their age.
It is a compound word made up of:
Since the base word Gruppe is feminine (die Gruppe), die Altersgruppe is also feminine.
Examples of Altersgruppen:
- Kleinkinder (toddlers, 0-3 years)
- Jugendliche (teenagers, 14-18 years)
- Senioren (seniors, 65+ years)
🚨 There is only this one article for this word: die.
Article rules for der, die, and das
-e/-ee → almost always feminine.
There are many -e nouns, many of which are feminine, but there are also some important exceptions.
📊 Grammar & Declension: Die Altersgruppe in Detail
The word "Altersgruppe" is a feminine noun. Here are the declension tables for singular and plural:
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Who/What?) | die | Altersgruppe |
| Accusative (Whom/What?) | die | Altersgruppe |
| Dative (To whom?) | der | Altersgruppe |
| Genitive (Whose?) | der | Altersgruppe |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Altersgruppen |
| Accusative | die | Altersgruppen |
| Dative | den | Altersgruppen |
| Genitive | der | Altersgruppen |
💡 Example Sentences
- Die Altersgruppe der 20- bis 30-Jährigen ist sehr technikaffin.
(The age group of 20- to 30-year-olds is very tech-savvy.) - Wir untersuchen die Altersgruppe der Senioren genauer.
(We are examining the age group of seniors more closely.) - Die Studie widmet sich der Altersgruppe zwischen 10 und 15 Jahren.
(The study is dedicated to the age group between 10 and 15 years.) - Die Bedürfnisse der Altersgruppe müssen berücksichtigt werden.
(The needs of the age group must be considered.) - Verschiedene Altersgruppen nahmen an der Umfrage teil.
(Various age groups participated in the survey.) - Das Marketing zielt auf bestimmte Altersgruppen ab.
(The marketing targets specific age groups.) - Wir bieten Kurse für alle Altersgruppen an.
(We offer courses for all age groups.) - Die Interessen der verschiedenen Altersgruppen unterscheiden sich stark.
(The interests of the different age groups vary greatly.)
🗣️ How to Use "Altersgruppe"?
"Altersgruppe" is frequently used in both formal and informal contexts when discussing groups of people categorized by age.
- Statistics & Demography: For analyzing population data (e.g., „Die Geburtenrate in der Altersgruppe der 30- bis 35-Jährigen steigt.“ - The birth rate in the 30-35 age group is rising.)
- Sociology & Psychology: For studying behaviors or attitudes of specific age phases (e.g., „Welche Werte sind für die Altersgruppe der Millennials wichtig?“ - What values are important for the Millennial age group?)
- Marketing & Advertising: For defining target audiences for products or services (e.g., „Dieses Spielzeug ist für die Altersgruppe 3-6 Jahre gedacht.“ - This toy is intended for the 3-6 age group.)
- Education System: For dividing classes or courses (e.g., „Schwimmkurs für die Altersgruppe 6-8 Jahre.“ - Swimming course for the 6-8 age group.)
- Everyday Language: To generally talk about people of similar age (e.g., „Er gehört nicht mehr zu meiner Altersgruppe.“ - He doesn't belong to my age group anymore.)
Potential confusion: Don't mix it up with Generation (which usually refers to a group shaped by common historical experiences) or Jahrgang (which refers to the year of birth).
🧠 Mnemonics for Altersgruppe
-
For the Article (die):
Think of the base word: It's die Gruppe (the group). Many German nouns ending in -e are feminine. An Altersgruppe is a specific kind of Gruppe, so it stays feminine: die Altersgruppe. 👵➡️👩➡️👧 = a group!
-
For the Meaning (age group):
Imagine sorting photos ('Alter' relates to age) into different piles ('Gruppe' means group). You're creating Altersgruppen based on the age in the photos! 📸➡️📊
🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms (similar meaning):
- Jahrgang (der): Often refers more specifically to the year of birth (e.g., der Jahrgang 1990 - the 1990 year group/cohort).
- Generation (die): Usually covers a broader period and refers to people with shared formative experiences (e.g., die Nachkriegsgeneration - the post-war generation).
- Kohorte (die): Technical term (often in sociology) for a group of people who experienced a specific demographic event (e.g., birth, school enrollment) at the same time.
- Altersklasse (die): Very similar, often used in sports or competitions.
- Altersstufe (die): Similar to Altersklasse, often used in pedagogical contexts.
Antonyms (opposites):
A direct antonym is difficult. The following could be considered opposite in concept:
- Individuum (das) / Einzelfall (der): Focus on the single person instead of the group.
- Altersgemischt / Generationsübergreifend: Describes groups that are not separated by age (mixed-age / intergenerational).
- Gesamtbevölkerung (die): Refers to the entire population, including all age groups.
😂 A Little Joke
Frage: Was ist der Unterschied zwischen der Altersgruppe "Jugendliche" und "Erwachsene"?
Antwort: Die Jugendlichen wissen alles besser, die Erwachsenen bezahlen alles besser!
(Question: What's the difference between the age group "teenagers" and "adults"?)
(Answer: Teenagers know everything better, adults pay for everything better!)
📜 Poem about Altersgruppe
Von Klein bis Groß, so teilt man ein,
in Gruppen nach dem Altersschein.
Die Jugend wild, die Alten weise,
jede Altersgruppe hat ihre Reise.
Mal braucht man Schutz, mal Freiheit pur,
so ändert sich die Lebensspur.
Ob 20, 40 oder mehr,
die Altersgruppe prägt uns sehr.
(From small to tall, we categorize,
Into groups by age, no surprise.
The youth run wild, the old are wise,
each age group lives beneath its skies.)
(Sometimes needing shelter, sometimes free,
Life's path changes, for you and me.
Whether 20, 40, or even more,
The age group shapes us to the core.)
❓ Riddle Time
Ich teile Menschen, groß und klein,
nach Jahren ein, das muss so sein.
In Statistik und im Marketing beliebt,
damit man weiß, wen es wo gibt.
Mal sind's die Kinder, mal Senioren,
wer wird in mir geboren?
(I divide people, big and small,
By years assigned, I stand up tall.
In stats and marketing, I'm key,
To know who's who, you look to me.)
(Sometimes it's children, sometimes old,
Who is within my bounds enrolled?)
(Answer: die Altersgruppe / the age group)
🧩 Other Information
Word Composition:
The word "Altersgruppe" is a compound noun, composed of:
- Alter (noun, neuter: das Alter) - age
- -s- (interfix, a connecting sound)
- Gruppe (noun, feminine: die Gruppe) - group
The gender of the compound word is determined by the last word (the base word), which is "Gruppe" (feminine), hence "die Altersgruppe".
Cultural Relevance:
The division into age groups (Altersgruppen) plays a significant role in German social systems (e.g., retirement age, compulsory schooling), market research, and planning services for different life stages.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Altersgruppe?
The noun "Altersgruppe" is always feminine. The correct article is die Altersgruppe. The plural is die Altersgruppen.