die
Bedeutung
What does 'die Bedeutung' mean? 🧐
Die Bedeutung (feminine) is a German noun referring to the meaning or significance of something. It can have several nuances:
- Sense/Meaning: The content or message of a sign, word, sentence, or action. (Example: nachschlagen (to look up) die Bedeutung eines Wortes (the meaning of a word) im Wörterbuch (in the dictionary))
- Importance/Significance: The relevance or value something holds for someone or a situation. (Example: Dieses Ereignis war von großer Bedeutung für die Geschichte. - This event was of great significance for history.)
- Status/Standing: The influence or rank of a person or thing. (Example: ein Künstler von internationaler Bedeutung - an artist of international significance)
There is only one article for this word: die. It's a feminine noun, which is common for many nouns ending in -ung.
Article rules for der, die, and das
-ung → always feminine.
There are many -ung words, we won't list them all. There are only a few exceptions.
Grammar Corner: Declining 'die Bedeutung' 🇩🇪🇬🇧
Die Bedeutung is a feminine noun. Here are the declension tables:
Declension Singular
| Case | Definite Article | Indefinite Article |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Subject) | die Bedeutung | eine Bedeutung (a meaning) |
| Genitive (Possessive) | der Bedeutung | einer Bedeutung (of a meaning) |
| Dative (Indirect Object) | der Bedeutung | einer Bedeutung (to/for a meaning) |
| Accusative (Direct Object) | die Bedeutung | eine Bedeutung (a meaning) |
Declension Plural
| Case | Definite Article | Indefinite Article |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Subject) | die Bedeutungen | Bedeutungen / einige Bedeutungen (meanings / some meanings) |
| Genitive (Possessive) | der Bedeutungen | Bedeutungen / einiger Bedeutungen (of meanings / of some meanings) |
| Dative (Indirect Object) | den Bedeutungen | Bedeutungen / einigen Bedeutungen (to/for meanings / to/for some meanings) |
| Accusative (Direct Object) | die Bedeutungen | Bedeutungen / einige Bedeutungen (meanings / some meanings) |
Example Sentences ✍️
- Der Lehrer erklärte die Bedeutung des neuen Wortes. (The teacher explained the meaning of the new word.)
- Die historische Bedeutung dieses Fundes ist enorm. (The historical significance of this discovery is enormous.)
- Wegen der verschiedenen Bedeutungen des Wortes gab es Verwirrung. (Because of the different meanings of the word, there was confusion.)
- Man muss den Bedeutungen mehr Aufmerksamkeit schenken. (One must pay more attention to the meanings.)
How to Use 'Bedeutung' Correctly in Context ✍️
Die Bedeutung is frequently used in the following contexts:
- Language & Communication: When discussing the meaning of words, sentences, or symbols. („Was ist die Bedeutung dieses Symbols?“ - What is the meaning of this symbol?)
- Evaluation & Importance: To express the relevance or significance of events, decisions, or people. Often used with prepositions like 'von' (of) or 'für' (for). („Diese Entdeckung ist von großer Bedeutung für die Wissenschaft.“ - This discovery is of great significance for science. „Deine Hilfe hat für mich eine große Bedeutung.“ - Your help has great meaning/significance for me.)
- Abstract Concepts: In a philosophical or existential sense, e.g., the search for the „Bedeutung des Lebens“ (meaning of life).
Common Phrases:
- etwas an Bedeutung gewinnen/verlieren: to gain/lose importance
- von Bedeutung sein: to be of importance/significant
- keine Bedeutung haben: to have no importance/meaning
- im eigentlichen Sinne des Wortes / im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes: literally, in the truest sense of the word (emphasizes the meaning)
Potential Confusion? Sometimes Sinn (sense, meaning, purpose) is used synonymously, but Bedeutung often refers more specifically to the defined content or importance, while Sinn can also mean purpose or direction.
Memory Hooks for 'die Bedeutung' 🧠
For the article 'die': Many German nouns ending in -ung are feminine (die). Think of: die Meinung (opinion), die Hoffnung (hope), die Leistung (performance)... and also die Bedeutung! It's an important ('wichtige') rule ('Regelung').
For the meaning (Sinn/Wichtigkeit): The word comes from „deuten“ (to point, interpret, indicate). When you deuten something, you are looking for its Bedeutung (meaning/significance). What is it pointing to? How important is it?
Expanding Vocabulary: Synonyms & Antonyms for Bedeutung 🔁
Synonyms (similar meaning):
- Sinn: (sense, meaning, purpose - often interchangeable, but sometimes broader)
- Wichtigkeit: (importance - emphasizes relevance)
- Relevanz: (relevance - importance within a specific context)
- Tragweite: (implications, scope, significance - extent of consequences)
- Stellenwert: (status, value, significance - rank or appreciation)
- Gewicht: (weight - figuratively for importance)
- Aussage(kraft): (message, meaning, expressive power)
Antonyms (opposites):
- Bedeutungslosigkeit: (meaninglessness)
- Irrelevanz: (irrelevance)
- Unwichtigkeit: (unimportance)
- Nebensächlichkeit: (triviality, minor matter)
- Belanglosigkeit: (insignificance, triviality)
Similar, but distinct words:
- Interpretation: Personal interpretation or construal of a meaning.
- Definition: A precise explanation of a word's meaning.
A Little Language Joke 😄
German: Fragt der Schüler den Lehrer: "Was ist die Bedeutung von 'Ignoranz' und 'Apathie'?" Antwortet der Lehrer: "Ich weiß es nicht und es ist mir auch egal!"
English Translation: A student asks the teacher: "What is the meaning of 'ignorance' and 'apathy'?" The teacher replies: "I don't know and I don't care!"
Poetic Thoughts on Meaning 📜
German:
Ein Wort, ein Blick, ein leiser Ton,
trägt eine Bedeutung oft schon.
Mal klar, mal tief, mal kaum erkannt,
im Sinn des Lebens, Hand in Hand.
Die Wichtigkeit, sie schwebt und fällt,
was gestern galt, heut' nicht mehr zählt.
Doch suchen wir stets, was wirklich bleibt,
die Bedeutung, die die Zeit vertreibt.
English Translation:
A word, a glance, a gentle tone,
often carry a meaning shown.
Sometimes clear, sometimes deep, barely known,
in the sense of life, hand in hand sown.
The importance, it rises and falls,
what mattered yesterday, no longer calls.
But we always seek what truly stays,
the meaning that drives away the days.
What Am I? A Riddle 🤔
German:
Ich habe keinen Körper, doch Gewicht.
Ich lebe in Worten und im Angesicht.
Man sucht mich im Leben, in Kunst und im Traum,
ohne mich wär' alles nur leerer Raum.
Mal bin ich wichtig, mal ganz banal,
manchmal versteckt, manchmal ein Signal.
Wer bin ich?
English Translation:
I have no body, yet I have weight.
I live in words and in the face.
People seek me in life, in art, and in dreams,
without me, everything's just empty space, it seems.
Sometimes I'm important, sometimes quite mundane,
sometimes hidden, sometimes a signal plain.
What am I?
(Answer: die Bedeutung / meaning)
Interesting Facts about 'Bedeutung' 🤓
Word Family & Origin:
- Bedeutung derives from the verb bedeuten (to mean, signify).
- Bedeuten, in turn, comes from deuten (to point, indicate, interpret). The prefix be- often intensifies the verb or makes it transitive. So, originally, it was about pointing something out, assigning a meaning to it.
Trivia: The search for meaning (die Suche nach Bedeutung) is a central theme in philosophy, psychology, and literature. The question "Was ist der Sinn/die Bedeutung des Lebens?" (What is the meaning/purpose of life?) has occupied humans for millennia.
Summary: is it der, die or das Bedeutung?
The noun 'Bedeutung' is feminine. Therefore, the correct article is always die Bedeutung.