die
Bewässerung
💧 What does "die Bewässerung" mean?
Die Bewässerung means irrigation or watering. It refers to the artificial supply of water to soil or plants, especially in agriculture and gardening, to promote their growth or prevent crop failure due to drought.
It's an essential technique for successfully growing plants even in dry regions or during periods of low rainfall.
🚨 Heads up: Although 'Bewässerung' is often associated with agriculture, it also includes watering gardens, parks, and sports fields.
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 Under the Microscope: Die Bewässerung
The word "Bewässerung" is a feminine noun. Therefore, the correct article is die.
It is primarily used in the singular. The plural form "die Bewässerungen" is grammatically correct but less common; it usually refers to different systems or processes of irrigation.
Declension (Singular)
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Who/What?) | die | Bewässerung |
| Genitive (Whose?) | der | Bewässerung |
| Dative (To whom?) | der | Bewässerung |
| Accusative (Whom/What?) | die | Bewässerung |
Declension (Plural - less common)
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Bewässerungen |
| Genitive | der | Bewässerungen |
| Dative | den | Bewässerungen |
| Accusative | die | Bewässerungen |
Example Sentences 📜
- Die Bewässerung der Felder ist nach der langen Dürre dringend notwendig.
(The irrigation of the fields is urgently necessary after the long drought.) - Moderne Bewässerungssysteme sparen Wasser und Energie.
(Modern irrigation systems save water and energy.) - Im Sommer läuft die automatische Bewässerung im Garten jeden Abend.
(In summer, the automatic watering in the garden runs every evening.) - Ohne künstliche Bewässerung wäre Landwirtschaft hier kaum möglich.
(Without artificial irrigation, agriculture would hardly be possible here.)
💡 How "Bewässerung" is Used
The term die Bewässerung is central in contexts such as:
- Agriculture (Landwirtschaft): Here, irrigation is often essential for yields, e.g., through center-pivot irrigation (Kreisberegnung), furrow irrigation (Furchenbewässerung), or drip irrigation (Tropfbewässerung).
- Gardening (Gartenbau): From a simple watering can (Gießkanne) to complex sprinkler systems (Sprinkleranlagen) or irrigation systems for raised beds (Hochbeete).
- Landscaping (Landschaftspflege): Watering of parks, sports facilities (e.g., golf courses), and public green spaces.
- Technology & Environment (Technik & Umwelt): Discussions about water resource management, efficient irrigation technologies, and their environmental impacts.
One often talks about 'Methoden der Bewässerung' (methods of irrigation) or the 'Notwendigkeit der Bewässerung' (necessity of irrigation).
Distinction: While "Bewässerung" means the artificial supply of water, "Niederschlag" (precipitation - rain, snow) is the natural water source for plants.
🧠 Mnemonics and Memory Aids
Article Mnemonic: Many German nouns ending in -ung are feminine ('die'). Think of English words that might end similarly if they were German nouns like 'regulation' (die Regelung), 'planning' (die Planung) - the -ung ending strongly suggests die. Just like die Bewässerung!
Meaning Mnemonic: Think of the German word for water: Wasser. 'Bewässerung' clearly contains this root. The 'Be-' prefix often indicates applying something to something else. So, 'Be-wässer-ung' is the act of applying Wasser (water).
🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms
Similar Terms (Synonyms)
- Irrigation: Technical term, often used in agricultural or technical contexts (loanword from Latin, also used in German).
- Berieselung: Often refers specifically to sprinkling water from above (like sprinklers - Rasensprenger).
- Wässerung: More general term for adding water, can also mean soaking wood, but is used for plants too.
- Wasserversorgung (von Pflanzen): A descriptive phrase meaning 'water supply (for plants)'.
Opposite Terms (Antonyms)
- Entwässerung: Drainage (removing excess water).
- Trockenlegung: Land reclamation by removing water (e.g., draining a swamp).
- Dürre / Trockenheit: Drought / Dryness (natural lack of water).
⚠️ Note: "Gießen" is more specific, usually meaning manual watering of potted plants or small garden areas with a watering can or hose.
😄 A Little Joke
German: Warum hat der Gärtner schlechte Laune? Er findet einfach keine Lösung für sein Bewässerungsproblem – alles ist ihm zu trocken!
English: Why is the gardener in a bad mood? He just can't find a solution to his irrigation problem – everything is too dry for him! (Play on words: 'trocken' means 'dry' but can also mean 'boring' or 'dull' in a figurative sense.)
✍️ Poem about Bewässerung
German:
Die Sonne brennt, das Land ist karg,
Kein Tropfen fällt, Tag für Tag.
Doch Technik naht, ein kluger Plan,
Die Bewässerung fängt nun an.
Durch Rohre fließt das kühle Nass,
Macht Pflanzen froh, vertreibt den Hass
Der Trockenheit. Das Grün erwacht,
Hat Wasser endlich ihm gebracht.
English Translation:
The sun burns hot, the land is bare,
No drop does fall, day after day, no share.
But tech draws near, a clever scheme,
The irrigation starts, a flowing stream.
Through pipes the cooling water flows,
Makes plants rejoice, dispels the woes
Of dryness deep. The green awakes,
As water finally it takes.
❓ Little Riddle
German:
Ich bringe Leben, wo die Dürre droht,
Bin Landwirts Freund in größter Not.
Mal sprüh' ich fein, mal tropf' ich sacht,
Hab' Felder grün und stark gemacht.
Was bin ich?
English Translation:
I bring life where drought is near,
A farmer's friend, dispelling fear.
Sometimes I spray, sometimes drip slow,
I've made the fields green and strong grow.
What am I?
Fodder for the Curious
Word Composition:
The word "Bewässerung" is composed of:
- Prefix be-: Indicates applying something to something else or directing an action towards something.
- Stem wässer: From the verb "wässern" (to water, to moisten). Related to "Wasser" (water).
- Suffix -ung: Forms a noun from the verb, denoting the process or result of the action.
Historical & Technical Context: Irrigation methods have existed for millennia (e.g., ancient Egypt along the Nile). Today, techniques range from simple canals to computer-controlled, sensor-based systems that precisely determine and meet water needs.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Bewässerung?
The word "Bewässerung" is feminine, so the correct article is die. It refers to the artificial supply of water to plants or soil, primarily in agriculture and gardening (irrigation).