die
Beziehung
🤝 What does "die Beziehung" mean?
The German word die Beziehung translates to several related concepts in English, primarily centered around connection:
- Personal Relationship: This is the most common meaning, referring to the connection between people. This includes romantic partnerships (Liebesbeziehung - love relationship), family ties (Mutter-Kind-Beziehung - mother-child relationship), or friendships.
- Connection or Link: It can describe a factual or logical connection between things or concepts. (e.g., die Beziehung zwischen Ursache und Wirkung - the relationship/connection between cause and effect).
- Relation or Regard: In certain phrases, it means "in relation to" or "with regard to". (e.g., in dieser Beziehung haben Sie Recht - in this regard, you are right).
🚨 Importantly, die Beziehung is always feminine, regardless of its specific meaning. The article is always die.
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 Beziehung" in Detail
"Beziehung" is a feminine noun. Its declension is as follows:
Singular Declension
| Case | Article | Noun | (English Meaning) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Beziehung | (the relationship) |
| Genitive | der | Beziehung | (of the relationship) |
| Dative | der | Beziehung | (to/for the relationship) |
| Accusative | die | Beziehung | (the relationship) |
Plural Declension
| Case | Article | Noun | (English Meaning) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Beziehungen | (the relationships) |
| Genitive | der | Beziehungen | (of the relationships) |
| Dative | den | Beziehungen | (to/for the relationships) |
| Accusative | die | Beziehungen | (the relationships) |
Example Sentences
- Die Beziehung der beiden Schwestern ist sehr eng.
(The relationship between the two sisters is very close.) - Wir analysieren die Daten hinsichtlich ihrer Beziehung zum Umsatz.
(We analyze the data regarding its relationship to sales.) - Genitive use after 'hinsichtlich' - Er arbeitet an seiner Beziehung zu seinem Chef.
(He is working on his relationship with his boss.) - Dative - Sie beendete die toxische Beziehung.
(She ended the toxic relationship.) - Accusative - Gute Beziehungen sind im Geschäftsleben wichtig.
(Good relationships are important in business life.) - Nominative Plural
🗣️ How to use "die Beziehung"?
- Everyday Life: Most often used for personal relationships: "Er ist in keiner festen Beziehung." (He is not in a committed relationship.) or "Wie ist deine Beziehung zu deinen Nachbarn?" (How is your relationship with your neighbours?)
- Professional Context: Refers to customer relations (Kundenbeziehungen), business relationships (Geschäftsbeziehungen), or colleague interactions: "Gute Beziehungen zu Lieferanten sind entscheidend." (Good relationships with suppliers are crucial.)
- Science & Logic: Describes connections or correlations: "Es gibt eine statistische Beziehung zwischen den Variablen." (There is a statistical relationship between the variables.)
- Fixed Expressions: Common phrases include "etwas in Beziehung setzen zu" (to relate something to), "in Beziehung stehen zu" (to be related to/connected with), "in jeder Beziehung" (in every respect/way). Example: "Man muss die Risiken in Beziehung zu den Chancen setzen." (One must relate the risks to the opportunities.)
⚠️ Don't confuse Beziehung with Verhältnis. While similar, Verhältnis often implies a specific type (e.g., Arbeitsverhältnis - employment relationship, Liebesverhältnis - love affair, often secret) or a ratio/proportion (e.g., im Verhältnis 1:2 - in the ratio 1:2).
🧠 Memory Aids for "die Beziehung"
- Article Aid: Think of other feminine German words related to connection and emotion: die Liebe (love), die Freundschaft (friendship), die Familie (family) – and die Beziehung. Relationships are often complex and seen as a domain women nurture (a stereotype, but perhaps helpful for memory!). 😉
- Meaning Aid: The word contains "zieh(en)", which means "to pull" or "to draw". A Beziehung "pulls" or "draws" two or more people or things together, establishing a connection. They are drawn to each other.
You pull threads (ziehen) to make a connection – that's a Beziehung. Since connections (relationships) can be intricate, just like die complex web of life, it's die Beziehung.
🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms for "die Beziehung"
Synonyms (Similar Meaning):
- Verhältnis: (relationship, affair, ratio) - Often more specific or can imply an affair or ratio.
- Verbindung: (connection, link) - Can be more technical or general (Telefonverbindung - phone connection).
- Zusammenhang: (connection, context, correlation) - Mostly for factual or logical links.
- Kontakt: (contact) - Usually implies a less deep connection than Beziehung.
- Bindung: (bond, attachment) - Emphasizes emotional closeness (enge Bindung - close bond).
- Hinsicht: (respect, regard) - Only synonymous in the sense of "in relation to" (in dieser Hinsicht - in this respect).
Antonyms (Opposite Meaning):
- Trennung: (separation, breakup) - The end of a personal relationship.
- Isolation: (isolation) - The lack of relationships.
- Unabhängigkeit: (independence) - Lack of relation to or dependence on something/someone.
- Distanz: (distance) - The opposite of closeness in a relationship.
Similar Words (Potential Confusion):
😄 A Little Joke
German: Fragt sie ihn: "Schatz, was magst du am liebsten an mir? Meinen wunderschönen Körper oder mein intelligentes Wesen?" Er antwortet: "Deinen Sinn für Humor!"
English: She asks him: "Honey, what do you like best about me? My beautiful body or my intelligent nature?" He replies: "Your sense of humour!"
📜 Poem about Relationships
German:
Die Beziehung, ein zartes Band,
gewebt mit Herz und Verstand.
Mal stark, mal schwach, mal klar, mal trüb,
hält sie zusammen, was sich lieb.
Sie braucht Vertrauen, Zeit und Mut,
dann tut die Nähe richtig gut.
Ein stetes Pflegen, Geben, Nehmen,
so kann die schönste Frucht aufkeimen.
English Translation:
The relationship, a tender tie,
Woven with heart and mind held high.
Sometimes strong, sometimes weak, sometimes clear, sometimes dim,
It holds together loving limb from limb.
It needs trust, time, and courage true,
Then closeness feels so good for you.
Constant care, give and take,
So the finest fruit can awake.
🧩 Little Riddle
German:
Ich kann warm sein oder kalt,
zwischen jung und alt.
Ich verbinde dich und mich,
manchmal ganz offensichtlich.
Ich kann enden, ich beginn',
stecke tief im Leben drin.
Was bin ich?
... Die Beziehung
English Translation:
I can be warm or be cold,
Between the young and the old.
I connect you and me,
Sometimes plain to see.
I can end, I can start,
Deep within life, I play my part.
What am I?
... A relationship (Die Beziehung)
🤓 More on "Beziehung"
Word Composition:
The word "Beziehung" is composed of:
- The prefix be-: Often used to make verbs transitive or to describe an action affecting someone/something.
- The noun Ziehung: Derived from the verb "ziehen" (to pull, to draw). While "Ziehung" can mean a lottery draw, here it refers to the act of drawing together or establishing a connection.
So, a Beziehung can be understood as something that "pulls" or "draws" two or more elements together, connecting them.
Related Verbs:
- sich beziehen auf: to refer to, to relate to (e.g., This statement refers to the previous paragraph. - Diese Aussage bezieht sich auf den vorigen Absatz.)
- beziehen: Can mean to obtain/receive (salary, pension), to cover (a bed), or to move into (an apartment). (e.g., He is moving into a new apartment. - Er bezieht eine neue Wohnung.)
Summary: is it der, die or das Beziehung?
The German noun Beziehung is always feminine. The correct article is exclusively die: die Beziehung.