die
Bepflanzung
🌱 What does "die Bepflanzung" mean?
Die Bepflanzung (noun, feminine) describes two related concepts:
- The act of planting: Putting plants into the ground or containers. Example: Die Bepflanzung des neuen Beetes hat den ganzen Nachmittag gedauert. (Planting the new flowerbed took all afternoon.)
- The result of planting: The entirety of plants present in a location; the way something is planted. Example: Die üppige Bepflanzung des Parks lädt zum Verweilen ein. (The lush planting/vegetation in the park invites you to linger.)
It's a word frequently used in the context of Gartenbau (gardening), Landschaftsgestaltung (landscaping), and Stadtplanung (urban planning).
⚠️ Be careful not to confuse it with Pflanzung (often the single act or a single plantation) or Pflanze (the individual plant), although the meanings are closely related.
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: "Die Bepflanzung" in Detail
The word "Bepflanzung" is a feminine noun. The article is die. Nouns ending in "-ung" are almost always feminine in German.
Declension Singular
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Bepflanzung |
| Genitive | der | Bepflanzung |
| Dative | der | Bepflanzung |
| Accusative | die | Bepflanzung |
Declension Plural
The plural "die Bepflanzungen" is used less frequently, mostly when referring to different, distinct planted areas or types of plantings.
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Bepflanzungen |
| Genitive | der | Bepflanzungen |
| Dative | den | Bepflanzungen |
| Accusative | die | Bepflanzungen |
📝 Application Examples
- Die Gemeinde plant eine neue Bepflanzung für den Kreisverkehr.
(The community is planning new planting for the roundabout.) - Nach der Bepflanzung muss das Beet gut gewässert werden.
(After planting, the bed must be watered well.) - Wir bewunderten die vielfältigen Bepflanzungen in den verschiedenen Themengärten.
(We admired the diverse plantings in the various theme gardens.) - Die richtige Bepflanzung kann das Mikroklima verbessern.
(The right planting can improve the microclimate.)
💡 How is "Bepflanzung" used?
"Die Bepflanzung" is mainly used in the following contexts:
- Gartenbau und Landschaftsarchitektur (Gardening and Landscape Architecture): Describing the selection and arrangement of plants in gardens, parks, public spaces, etc. (e.g., standortgerechte Bepflanzung - planting appropriate to the location, wechselnde Bepflanzung - changing/seasonal planting)
- Stadtplanung (Urban Planning): Greening of urban areas, roadsides, roofs. (e.g., Fassadenbepflanzung - facade planting, Dachbepflanzung - roof planting)
- Landwirtschaft/Forstwirtschaft (Agriculture/Forestry): Sometimes used here, although more specific terms like Anpflanzung (cultivation) or Aufforstung (afforestation) are more common.
- Description: As a general term for the collective plants in a location. (e.g., eine dichte Bepflanzung - dense planting, eine spärliche Bepflanzung - sparse planting)
Compared to Pflanzung (often the act of planting a single plant or group), Bepflanzung tends to emphasize the result, the designed whole, or the process of systematically equipping an area with plants.
🧠 Mnemonics and Memory Aids
Article Mnemonic: Words ending in -ung in German are like invitations - they usually require a 'feminine touch' (are feminine). So, it's die Bepflanzung. Think of the English word 'plantING' ending in -ING, similar to -UNG.
Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine someone saying "Let's be planting!" This sounds like Be-pflanzung and implies the action or result of covering an area with plants.
🔄 Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms (similar meaning):
- Pflanzung: Very similar, sometimes interchangeable, but often more specific to the act or a smaller unit.
- Begrünung: Often emphasizes the goal of making an area green and lively, especially in urban contexts (greening).
- Anpflanzung: Similar to Pflanzung, often used in agriculture and forestry (cultivation, planting).
- Vegetation: A more general term for the plant cover of an area, not necessarily planted by humans.
Antonyms (opposite meaning):
- Entfernung (von Pflanzen): Removal (of plants).
- Rodung: Clearing (of trees and shrubs, often large-scale).
- Abholzung: Deforestation (specifically felling trees).
- Brache/Ödland: Fallow land / wasteland (unplanted area).
Related but distinct terms:
😄 Time for a Joke!
Fragt der Gärtnerlehrling: "Meister, sollen wir bei der Bepflanzung auch Schnecken mit einplanen?"
Meister: "Nein, die kommen von ganz alleine!" 🐌
--- Translation ---
The apprentice gardener asks: "Master, should we also include snails in the planting plan?"
Master: "No, they'll show up all by themselves!" 🐌
✍️ A Little Poem about Bepflanzung
Die Erde wartet, nackt und leer,
Doch Hände schaffen Leben her.
Mit Spatenstich und sanfter Hand,
Entsteht ein buntes Pflanzenland.
Die Bepflanzung, schön und grün,
Lässt Herzen höherschlagen, kühn.
Ein Farbenspiel, ein Duft so fein,
So soll der Garten immer sein!
--- Translation ---
The earth awaits, naked and bare,
But hands create life there.
With spade's cut and gentle hand,
Arises a colorful plant land.
The planting, lovely and green,
Makes hearts beat faster, bold and keen.
A play of colors, a scent so fine,
Thus shall the garden always shine!
❓ Little Riddle
Ich bin das Werk von Gärtners Hand,
Bedecke sorgsam nacktes Land.
Mal bunt, mal grün, mal dicht, mal licht,
Verändere ein Ortsgesicht.
Was bin ich? ... Die Bepflanzung
--- Translation ---
I am the work of gardener's hand,
Carefully covering naked land.
Sometimes colorful, green, dense, or light,
I change a place's sight.
What am I? ... The planting (die Bepflanzung)
💡 More Tidbits
Word Composition:
The word "Bepflanzung" is a noun derived from the verb "bepflanzen" (to plant something, to cover with plants). It consists of:
- The prefix be-: This prefix often makes an intransitive verb transitive or describes the act of providing something with something else (here: providing an area with plants).
- The stem of the verb pflanz(en) (to plant).
- The suffix -ung: This suffix forms nouns from verbs, usually denoting a process or its result. It makes the noun feminine (die).
So: be- (provide with) + pflanzen (to plant) + -ung (process/result) → Die Bepflanzung (the planting / the result of planting).
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Bepflanzung?
The German word Bepflanzung is feminine. The correct article is die Bepflanzung. It refers to the act of planting or the collective plants in a specific area.