die
Datenübertragung
📡 What does "Datenübertragung" mean?
Die Datenübertragung (feminine noun) refers to the process of sending or transporting digital or analog data from one point (source) to another (destination) via a communication medium. This can happen through cables (e.g., Glasfaser - fiber optics, Kupferkabel - copper cables), wirelessly (e.g., WLAN - Wi-Fi, Mobilfunk - mobile network), or other technologies.
It's a fundamental process in Informationstechnologie (information technology) and Telekommunikation (telecommunications). The term is definitively feminine because it ends in -ung.
Examples of Datenübertragung include:
- Downloading a file from the internet.
- Sending an email (eine E-Mail senden).
- A phone call over the mobile network.
- Streaming videos or music.
⚠️ Important: It specifically refers to the process of transferring, not the data itself (die Daten) or the devices (die Geräte).
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: "Die Datenübertragung" in Detail
The noun "Datenübertragung" is feminine. The article is die. It is declined as follows:
Declension (Singular)
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Who/What?) | die | Datenübertragung |
| Genitive (Whose?) | der | Datenübertragung |
| Dative (To whom?) | der | Datenübertragung |
| Accusative (Whom/What?) | die | Datenübertragung |
Declension (Plural)
The plural is "die Datenübertragungen".
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Datenübertragungen |
| Genitive | der | Datenübertragungen |
| Dative | den | Datenübertragungen |
| Accusative | die | Datenübertragungen |
💡 Example Sentences
- Die Datenübertragung wurde durch ein fehlerhaftes Kabel unterbrochen.
(The data transmission was interrupted by a faulty cable.) - Die Geschwindigkeit der Datenübertragung ist entscheidend für Cloud-Gaming.
(The speed of the data transmission is crucial for cloud gaming.) - Wir arbeiten an der Optimierung der Datenübertragung zwischen den Servern.
(We are working on optimizing the data transmission between the servers.) - Moderne Netzwerke ermöglichen schnelle Datenübertragungen über große Distanzen.
(Modern networks enable fast data transmissions over long distances.)
💻 Application and Context
"Datenübertragung" is a technical term primarily used in technology, computer science (Informatik), and telecommunications (Telekommunikation).
- Technical Context: Used to describe the physical or logical process of data transport (e.g., serielle Datenübertragung - serial data transmission, parallele Datenübertragung - parallel data transmission, drahtlose Datenübertragung - wireless data transmission).
- Everyday Language: Less common in general conversation, mostly used when discussing internet speed or related issues (e.g., "Die Datenübertragung ist heute sehr langsam." - "The data transmission is very slow today.").
- Related Concepts: Often used in conjunction with Bandbreite (bandwidth), Latenz (latency), Protokolle (protocols like TCP/IP, HTTP), Verschlüsselung (encryption), and Netzwerke (networks).
Distinction from other terms:
- Datentransfer: Often used synonymously, but can sometimes be broader, including the logical organization of the transfer.
- Kommunikation (Communication): A more general term encompassing the exchange of any kind of information, not just digital data.
- Datenspeicherung (Data storage): Refers to storing data, not transporting it.
🧠 Mnemonics and Memory Aids
Remembering the Article: Almost all German nouns ending in -ung are feminine (feminin). Think of: die Rechnung (the bill), die Sendung (the broadcast/shipment), die Leitung (the line/conduction). Therefore: die Datenübertragung.
Remembering the Meaning: Break it down: Daten means data or information. Übertragung comes from übertragen (to transfer, to carry over). Imagine data being carried over a line. So, Daten + Übertragung = the act of transferring data.
🔄 Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms (similar meaning):
- Datentransfer: Very similar, often interchangeable.
- Informationsübertragung: Broader, can include non-digital information.
- Kommunikation (in a technical sense): Exchange of data/signals.
- Übermittlung: More general term for sending something.
Antonyms (opposites):
- Datenempfang: Data reception (the other end of the process).
- Datenspeicherung: Data storage.
- Datenverarbeitung: Data processing.
- Datenlöschung: Data deletion.
⚠️ Similar but different terms:
- Datenleitung: The physical medium (cable, radio wave) used for transmission.
- Datenrate / Übertragungsrate: The speed of the data transmission (e.g., in Mbps).
😄 A Little Joke
Warum hat das WLAN-Signal Beziehungsprobleme?
(Why is the Wi-Fi signal having relationship problems?)
Weil die Datenübertragung ständig unterbrochen wird und es an stabiler Verbindung mangelt!
(Because the data transmission keeps getting interrupted and it lacks a stable connection!) 😉
📜 Poem about Data Transmission
Bits und Bytes auf großer Fahrt, (Bits and bytes on a grand journey,)
durch Kabel, Funk, ganz zart. (Through cable, radio, very gently.)
Von A nach B, so schnell es geht, (From A to B, as fast as can be,)
die Datenübertragung besteht. (The data transmission exists.)
Ob Bild, ob Text, ob Klang, (Whether image, text, or sound,)
digitaler Singsang. (A digital singsong.)
Von Servern fern zu dir nach Haus, (From distant servers to your home,)
fließt Information heraus. (Information flows out.)
❓ Riddle
Ich habe keine Stimme, doch ich transportiere Worte.
(I have no voice, yet I transport words.)
Ich habe keine Beine, doch ich reise über Orte.
(I have no legs, yet I travel across places.)
Ich trage Wissen, Bilder, Klang,
(I carry knowledge, images, sound,)
manchmal langsam, manchmal im Sekundengang.
(Sometimes slowly, sometimes in seconds.)
Was bin ich? / What am I?
→ Die Datenübertragung / Data Transmission
🧩 Other Information
Word Composition (Wortzusammensetzung):
The word is a compound noun, formed from:
- Die Daten (Plural of 'das Datum', here meaning 'data' or 'information')
- Die Übertragung (The act of transferring, from the verb 'übertragen' - to transfer/carry over)
Technical Background:
The efficiency and security of Datenübertragung are central topics in modern IT. Technologies like fiber optics (Glasfaser), 5G, and encryption protocols (e.g., TLS/SSL) play a crucial role in ensuring fast and protected transmissions.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Datenübertragung?
The word "Datenübertragung" is feminine. The correct article is die. So, it's always die Datenübertragung (singular) and die Datenübertragungen (plural).