die
Bestattung
🕊️ What does 'die Bestattung' mean?
Die Bestattung is a feminine noun meaning funeral, burial, or interment. It encompasses the process and ceremony of laying a deceased person to rest.
It covers all actions associated with transferring the body to its final resting place, whether through earth burial (Erdbestattung) or cremation (Feuerbestattung). It's a key term in the context of death, mourning, and farewell. The term can refer to the act of burial itself or the entire organized funeral service.
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 of 'die Bestattung' in Detail
The noun 'Bestattung' is feminine. The article is die.
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Subject) | die | Bestattung |
| Genitive (Possessive) | der | Bestattung |
| Dative (Indirect Object) | der | Bestattung |
| Accusative (Direct Object) | die | Bestattung |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Bestattungen |
| Genitive | der | Bestattungen |
| Dative | den | Bestattungen |
| Accusative | die | Bestattungen |
Example Sentences
- Die Bestattung findet nächste Woche statt. (The funeral will take place next week.)
- Die Kosten einer Bestattung können sehr variieren. (The costs of a funeral can vary greatly.)
- Er kümmert sich um die Organisation der Bestattung. (He is taking care of organizing the funeral.)
- Viele Kulturen haben unterschiedliche Rituale für Bestattungen. (Many cultures have different rituals for funerals/burials.)
💬 Everyday Usage
The term 'Bestattung' is mainly used in formal and official contexts when discussing death and related ceremonies.
- Contexts: Death cases, obituaries (Traueranzeigen), discussions about funeral planning, legal regulations, insurance (Sterbegeldversicherung - funeral cost insurance), religious or secular ceremonies.
- Types: A distinction is often made between Erdbestattung (earth burial, in a coffin) and Feuerbestattung (cremation, urn burial). There are also alternative forms like Seebestattung (burial at sea) or Waldbestattung (forest burial).
- Comparison: 'Beerdigung' and 'Beisetzung' are very similar terms. 'Beerdigung' often refers more specifically to earth burial but is frequently used synonymously with 'Bestattung'. 'Beisetzung' emphasizes the act of placing into the grave/resting place. 'Bestattung' is the most general and often the most formal term.
🧠 Mnemonics for 'Bestattung'
Article Mnemonic: Most German nouns ending in '-ung' are feminine ('die'), like die Bestattung. Think: 'The ending ung means it's 'die', like the ending of a life leads to die Bestattung.'
Meaning Mnemonic: 'Bestattung' sounds a bit like 'best station'. It's about finding the 'best station' or final resting place for the deceased.
🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms (Similar Meaning):
- Beerdigung: Often synonymous, sometimes more specific to earth burial.
- Beisetzung: Emphasizes the act of interment.
- Grablegung: More elevated or historical term for burial.
- Trauerfeier: Refers to the memorial service/ceremony, not necessarily the burial act itself.
- Begräbnis: Similar to Beerdigung, often in a religious context.
⚠️ Caution: Although 'Trauerfeier' (memorial service) is often mentioned in the same context, it's not exactly synonymous. A Trauerfeier can occur without a subsequent burial or be temporally separate from it.
😄 A Little Joke
Warum nehmen Skelette nie an Bestattungen teil?
Sie haben keinen 'Körper', um hinzugehen!
(Why do skeletons never attend funerals?
They have no 'body' to go with! - A pun on 'nobody' / 'no body')
📜 A Short Poem
Stiller Abschied, leise Worte,
An diesem ernsten, letzten Orte.
Die Bestattung, ein Ritual,
Erinnerung wird nie fahl.
Ein Kreis sich schließt, ein Weg zu End',
Die Liebe bleibt, die uns vereint.
(Silent farewell, soft words,
At this solemn, final place.
The funeral, a ritual,
Memory will never fade.
A circle closes, a path comes to an end,
Love remains, uniting us.)
❓ Riddle
Ich bin ein Ende, doch auch ein Ritus tief.
Ich bringe Tränen, wo die Stille schlief.
Mit Blumen oft geschmückt, in Erd' oder Feuerschein,
Was bin ich, dieser letzte, ernste Schrein?
(I am an end, yet also a deep rite.
I bring tears where silence slept.
Often adorned with flowers, in earth or fire's light,
What am I, this final, solemn shrine?)
Solution: die Bestattung (the funeral/burial)
💡 Other Information
Word Composition:
- The word 'Bestattung' is a noun derived from the verb 'bestatten' (to bury, to inter).
- 'Bestatten' itself is composed of the prefix 'be-' (often used to form transitive verbs) and the old word 'statt' (meaning 'Stätte' - place, site). So: to bring to a place, to inter.
- The suffix '-ung' nominalizes the verb, denoting the process or result of the action.
Cultural Notes:
- Funeral rites (Bestattungsriten) vary greatly depending on cultural and religious backgrounds.
- In Germany, the Bestattungsgesetz (Burial Act) of the respective federal state sets the framework.
- There is a general obligation for burial in a cemetery (Friedhofspflicht), although alternative forms of burial are increasing.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Bestattung?
The German word Bestattung is feminine. The correct article is die. So you say: die Bestattung (singular), die Bestattungen (plural).