die
Ambivalenz
🤔 What exactly does Ambivalenz mean?
Die Ambivalenz (noun, feminine) describes a state of internal conflict or having mixed feelings. It means that someone simultaneously has contradictory or opposing feelings, desires, thoughts, or evaluations towards a person, thing, or situation.
One feels pulled in two directions, unable to clearly decide or take a stance. This feeling can be perceived as either positive or negative.
Example: Feeling love and hate for the same person at the same time.
⚠️ There are no variations with other articles. It is always die Ambivalenz.
Article rules for der, die, and das
-enz → always feminine.
🧐 Grammar in Detail: The Declension of Ambivalenz
The word "Ambivalenz" is a feminine noun. It is usually used only in the singular, as it describes an abstract state. The plural ("die Ambivalenzen") is rare and usually refers to multiple specific cases or types of ambivalence.
Singular
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Who/What?) | die | Ambivalenz |
| Genitive (Whose?) | der | Ambivalenz |
| Dative (To whom?) | der | Ambivalenz |
| Accusative (Whom/What?) | die | Ambivalenz |
Plural (rare)
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Ambivalenzen |
| Genitive | der | Ambivalenzen |
| Dative | den | Ambivalenzen |
| Accusative | die | Ambivalenzen |
📝 Example Sentences
- Die Ambivalenz in seinen Gefühlen machte ihm zu schaffen.
(The ambivalence in his feelings troubled him.) - Sie spürte eine starke Ambivalenz gegenüber dem Jobangebot.
(She felt a strong ambivalence towards the job offer.) - Die Analyse offenbarte die tiefen Ambivalenzen (selten) in der Gesellschaft.
(The analysis revealed the deep ambivalences (rare) in society.) - Trotz ihrer Ambivalenz traf sie eine Entscheidung.
(Despite her ambivalence, she made a decision.)
💡 How is Ambivalenz used?
"Ambivalenz" is frequently used in contexts dealing with psychology, emotions, decision-making, or interpersonal relationships.
- Psychology/Therapy: Describing contradictory feelings in patients (e.g., Bindungsambivalenz - attachment ambivalence).
- Everyday Language: Expressing indecisiveness or mixed feelings ("Ich empfinde eine gewisse Ambivalenz bezüglich des Umzugs." - "I feel a certain ambivalence about the move.").
- Literature/Art: Portraying complex characters or situations marked by internal conflicts.
- Philosophy/Ethics: Discussing moral dilemmas or conflicting values.
Distinction: While Zweifel (doubt) or Unsicherheit (uncertainty) describe a lack of knowledge or conviction, Ambivalenz emphasizes the simultaneous presence of two opposing poles (e.g., seeing/feeling both positive and negative aspects).
🧠 Mnemonics for Ambivalenz
For the article 'die': Think of emotions - many emotional states in German are feminine: die Liebe (love), die Wut (anger), die Freude (joy). Ambivalenz is a state full of conflicting emotions, so it fits the pattern: die Ambivalenz.
For the meaning: Ambi- sounds like "I'm bi-" or "both". Valenz relates to value or power. So, Ambivalenz is having strong feelings/values pulling in both directions.
🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms (Similar meaning):
- Zwiespältigkeit: (Internal conflict/division) - Very similar, emphasizes the inner split.
- Zerrissenheit: (Being torn) - Often expresses a painful state of being pulled back and forth.
- Widersprüchlichkeit: (Contradictoriness) - Refers more to logical or emotional opposites.
- Doppelwertigkeit: (Double value/meaning) - Emphasizes that something has two (often opposing) values or meanings.
- Unentschlossenheit: (Indecisiveness) - A consequence of ambivalence, but not the same (one can be ambivalent yet still decide).
Antonyms (Opposite meaning):
- Eindeutigkeit: (Unambiguity, clarity) - No contradictory aspects.
- Entschlossenheit: (Determination, resoluteness) - Firm will, clear decision without hesitation.
- Klarheit: (Clarity) - State without doubt or confusion.
- Entschiedenheit: (Decisiveness) - State of being settled or decided.
- Einigkeit (innerlich): (Inner unity/agreement) - State without internal conflicts.
🚨 Caution: Words like Gleichgültigkeit (indifference) or Indifferenz (indifference) are not direct opposites. They describe a lack of strong feelings, whereas Ambivalenz implies the presence of strong but conflicting feelings.
😄 A Little Joke
Warum konnte sich das ambivalente Elektron nicht entscheiden, wohin es gehen sollte?
Es war sowohl positiv als auch negativ eingestellt! 😉
(Why couldn't the ambivalent electron decide where to go?
It had both positive and negative charges/attitudes!)
✒️ Poem about Ambivalenz
Ein Ja, ein Nein, im Herzen Streit,
Zwei Stimmen flüstern, fern und weit.
Die Seele schwankt, hin und zurück,
Im Netz der Ambivalenz verstrickt.
Mal lockt das Licht, mal zieht der Schatten,
Kann mich auf keine Seit' erstatten.
Ein süßer Schmerz, ein bitt'res Glück,
Die Ambivalenz, Stück für Stück.
(A yes, a no, a fight inside,
Two voices whisper, far and wide.
The soul does sway, both forth and back,
Caught in ambivalence's tangled track.
Now light attracts, now shadows pull,
Can't settle on one side at all.
A sweet pain felt, a bitter bliss,
Ambivalence, piece by piece it is.)
🧩 Little Riddle
Ich habe zwei Gesichter, doch keines ist echt.
Ich ziehe dich nach links und zugleich nach rechts.
Ich stifte Verwirrung, bin schwer zu versteh'n,
Kann Liebe und Hass dich gleichzeitig seh'n.
Was bin ich?
(I have two faces, but neither is real.
I pull you left and simultaneously right.
I cause confusion, am hard to comprehend,
Can make you see love and hate side-by-side, my friend.
What am I?)
(Answer: die Ambivalenz / Ambivalence)
✨ Other Information
Word Origin (Etymology):
The German word "Ambivalenz" comes from Latin. It is composed of:
- ambi-: meaning "both", "on both sides"
- valere: meaning "to be valid", "to be worth", "to be strong"
So, Ambivalenz literally means something like "having validity on both sides" or "strength on both sides", which aptly describes the state of being influenced by two sides simultaneously.
The term was significantly introduced into psychology around 1910 by the Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Ambivalenz?
The word "Ambivalenz" describes the state of having mixed or contradictory feelings/thoughts. It is a feminine noun, so the correct article is always die: die Ambivalenz.