die  Eigenschaft

B1

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈaɪ̯ɡn̩ʃaft/

📖 What does "die Eigenschaft" mean?

Die Eigenschaft (noun, feminine) refers to a characteristic feature, a quality, or an attribute associated with a person, an object, a substance, or a concept. It describes what something or someone is like or how it behaves.

There is only this one article for the word: die. It is always feminine.

• Example (person): Eine wichtige Eigenschaft eines Freundes ist Zuverlässigkeit. (An important quality of a friend is reliability.)
• Example (object): Die Härte ist eine Eigenschaft von Diamanten. (Hardness is a property of diamonds.)
• Example (concept): Die Komplexität ist eine Eigenschaft dieses Problems. (Complexity is a characteristic of this problem.)

Article rules for der, die, and das

📚 Grammar of "Eigenschaft" in Detail

"Eigenschaft" is a feminine noun. The article is always die.

Declension

Declension Examples

1. Nominative Singular: Die Eigenschaft der Katze ist ihre Unabhängigkeit. (The cat's characteristic is its independence.)
2. Genitive Singular: Wegen einer Eigenschaft des Materials ist es sehr teuer. (Because of one property of the material, it is very expensive.)
3. Dative Singular: Ich widme mich der Eigenschaft der Geduld. (I dedicate myself to the quality of patience.)
4. Accusative Singular: Er beschreibt die Eigenschaft sehr genau. (He describes the property very precisely.)
5. Nominative Plural: Die Eigenschaften dieses Produkts sind beeindruckend. (The properties of this product are impressive.)
6. Dative Plural: Man erkennt ihn an seinen positiven Eigenschaften. (One recognizes him by his positive qualities.)

💡 Usage in Context

"Eigenschaft" is a very common word used in many contexts:

• Describing people: Character traits, abilities (e.g., Ehrlichkeit (honesty), Intelligenz (intelligence), Kreativität (creativity)).
• Describing objects/materials: Physical or chemical features (e.g., Härte (hardness), Farbe (color), Leitfähigkeit (conductivity), Dichte (density)).
• Describing concepts/situations: Abstract features (e.g., Komplexität (complexity), Einfachheit (simplicity), Wichtigkeit (importance)).
• In science: Often used synonymously with Merkmal (feature) or Attribut (attribute) (e.g., biologische Eigenschaften (biological properties), mathematische Eigenschaften (mathematical properties)).

Distinction from similar words:

• Merkmal: Often very similar, sometimes more of an externally recognizable sign.
• Qualität: Often emphasizes the value or degree of a property (good/bad quality). Can also be synonymous.
• Charakteristikum: More formal or scientific term for a typical feature.
• Attribut: Often used in grammar (attribute) or IT (data field), but also synonymous with Eigenschaft.

⚠️ Be sure to use the correct article "die" and the appropriate declension.

🧠 Mnemonics for "die Eigenschaft"

For the article: The ending "-schaft" almost always makes German nouns feminine (die Freundschaft - friendship, die Landschaft - landscape, die Wissenschaft - science...). Therefore, it's also: die Eigenschaft. Imagine a sophisticated lady (die) who possesses many special properties.

For the meaning: Think of the German word "eigen", which means 'own' or 'specific'. An Eigen-schaft is something that is 'own' to a thing or person, it belongs to them, defines them.

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

Risk of Confusion

• Errungenschaft: Achievement, accomplishment. Sounds similar but has a completely different meaning.

😄 A Little Joke

German: Warum hat der Computer schlechte Laune? Er hat zu viele negative Eigenschaften in seiner Registry!

English: Why is the computer in a bad mood? It has too many negative properties (qualities/settings) in its registry!

📜 Poem about Properties

German:
Ob gut, ob schlecht, ob groß, ob klein,
jede Sache hat sie, muss so sein.
Ein Merkmal, das beschreibt und prägt,
was tief im Innern ist bewegt.

Des Feuers Glut, des Wassers Nass,
des Menschen Herz, bringt Freud und Hass.
Die Welt ist voll, man schau' genau,
von Eigenschaften, klug und schlau.

English Translation:
Be it good, be it bad, be it large, be it small,
every thing has them, it must be so for all.
A feature that describes and shapes,
what deep inside moves and escapes.

The fire's glow, the water's wet,
the human heart brings joy and threat.
The world is full, just look around,
of properties, clever and profound.

❓ Riddle

German:
Ich bin nicht greifbar, doch beschreibe ich viel,
von Menschen und Dingen, das ist mein Spiel.
Mal bin ich Stärke, mal bin ich Schwäche,
mal Farbe, mal Form, mal glatt, mal 'ne Eche.

Man sagt, ich sei 'eigen', gehöre dazu,
find' mich in 'gut' und in 'schlecht' immerzu.
Ich bin feminin, trag 'die' vor mir her.

Was bin ich? Na klar, eine...

English Translation:
I am not tangible, yet I describe much,
Of people and things, that is my touch.
Sometimes I am strength, sometimes I am weakness,
Sometimes color, sometimes form, sometimes smoothness, sometimes a peak-ness.

They say I am 'own', belonging thereto,
Find me in 'good' and in 'bad' through and through.
I am feminine, carry 'die' before me so clear.

What am I? Of course, an...

(Solution: Eigenschaft / property, quality)

🧩 Other Information

Word Composition

The word "Eigenschaft" is composed of:

• eigen: Adjective meaning 'own', 'specific', 'particular'.
• -schaft: A suffix forming nouns, often denoting a community, state, or collective (Freundschaft - friendship, Landschaft - landscape). Here, it signifies the state or the collection of characteristics that are 'eigen' (own) to something.

Philosophical Significance

In philosophy, the concept of "Eigenschaft" (property) is central, especially in ontology (the study of being). Discussions revolve around what properties are (e.g., universals or specific instances), how they relate to the objects that possess them, and whether there are essential (necessary) versus accidental (contingent) properties.