die
Eingangstür
🚪 What exactly is an 'Eingangstür'?
The German word die Eingangstür (feminine, plural: die Eingangstüren) refers to the main door used to enter a building such as a house, apartment, or shop. It's the primary access point from the outside.
It's a compound noun made up of:
Because the base word Tür is feminine (die Tür), the compound word Eingangstür is also feminine (die Eingangstür).
Article rules for der, die, and das
-ur/-ür → mostly feminine.
Caution: -eur nouns are usually masculine (e.g. der Ingenieur).
🧐 Grammar: Declining 'die Eingangstür'
The noun "Eingangstür" is feminine. Here are the declension tables:
Singular
| Case | Definite Article | Indefinite Article |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Who/What?) | die Eingangstür | eine Eingangstür (an entrance door) |
| Genitive (Whose?) | der Eingangstür | einer Eingangstür (of an entrance door) |
| Dative (To whom?) | der Eingangstür | einer Eingangstür (to/for an entrance door) |
| Accusative (Whom/What?) | die Eingangstür | eine Eingangstür (an entrance door) |
Plural
| Case | Definite Article | Indefinite/Negative Article |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die Eingangstüren (the entrance doors) | Eingangstüren / keine Eingangstüren (entrance doors / no entrance doors) |
| Genitive | der Eingangstüren (of the entrance doors) | Eingangstüren / keiner Eingangstüren (of entrance doors / of no entrance doors) |
| Dative | den Eingangstüren (to/for the entrance doors) | Eingangstüren / keinen Eingangstüren (to/for entrance doors / to/for no entrance doors) |
| Accusative | die Eingangstüren (the entrance doors) | Eingangstüren / keine Eingangstüren (entrance doors / no entrance doors) |
📝 Example Sentences
- Bitte schließen Sie die Eingangstür leise.
(Please close the entrance door quietly.) - Der Schlüssel zu der Eingangstür hängt am Brett.
(The key to the entrance door is hanging on the board.) - Wir haben gestern eine neue Eingangstür einbauen lassen.
(We had a new entrance door installed yesterday.) - Die Farbe der Eingangstür gefällt mir sehr gut.
(I really like the color of the entrance door.) - Bei Mehrfamilienhäusern gibt es oft mehrere Eingangstüren, aber nur eine Haupteingangstür.
(In apartment buildings, there are often multiple entrance doors (for the apartments), but only one main entrance door.)
🔑 How to Use "Eingangstür"?
The term Eingangstür is used to describe the primary door for entering a building. It's more specific than just "Tür" (door).
- Everyday Language: Often used interchangeably with "Haustür" (front door), especially for residential houses.
- Distinction: It differentiates the main door from others like Hintertür (back door), Nebeneingangstür (side entrance door), Balkontür (balcony door), or Innentür (interior door).
- Context: You'll find the term in property descriptions, directions, or discussions about security (e.g., locking the Eingangstür).
⚠️ Be careful not to confuse "Eingangstür" with "Ausgangstür" (exit door), although they are often the same physical door. The naming depends on the perspective (whether you are entering or exiting).
🧠 Mnemonics for 'die Eingangstür'
For the article 'die': Remember the base word is die Tür (the door). Many important 'doors' are feminine: die Autotür (car door), die Zimmertür (room door), and also die Eingangstür. Think of a door as welcoming you in – it has a welcoming, perhaps feminine quality. Also, 'Tür' ends in '-ür', which is often feminine.
For the meaning: Imagine you are going IN (Eingang) a building. What do you use? The first door (Tür) you encounter – the Eingangs-Tür.
↔️ Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms (Similar words)
Antonyms (Opposites)
- Hintertür / Hintereingang: Back door / rear entrance.
- Nebeneingang / Seiteneingang: Side entrance / secondary entrance.
- Ausgangstür: Exit door (often the same door, different perspective).
- Innentür / Zimmertür: Interior door / room door.
- Balkontür / Terrassentür: Balcony door / patio door.
😂 A Little Joke
Warum hat die Eingangstür nie Streit?
Weil sie immer nachgibt! 😉
(Why does the entrance door never argue? Because it always gives way! - 'nachgeben' means to give way/yield)
📜 A Little Poem
Die Eingangstür, fest und breit,
(The entrance door, firm and wide,)
Steht da bei Tag und Dunkelheit.
(Stands there by day and in the night.)
Sie lässt dich ein, sie lässt dich raus,
(It lets you in, it lets you out,)
Ins eigne, wohlbekannte Haus.
(Into your own, familiar house about.)
Mal offen, mal verschlossen fest,
(Sometimes open, sometimes locked up tight,)
Sie hält die Welt fern, gibt dir Rest.
(It keeps the world away, gives you respite.)
Ein Gruß, ein Kuss, ein Abschiedswort,
(A greeting, kiss, a parting word,)
All das geschieht an diesem Ort.
(All happens at this place observed.)
❓ Riddle Time
Ich habe einen Griff, doch keine Hand.
(I have a handle, but no hand.)
Ich stehe fest an des Hauses Rand.
(I stand firmly at the house's edge or land.)
Durch mich gehst du hinein, tagein, tagaus,
(Through me you enter, day in, day out,)
Wer bin ich, der Wächter von deinem Haus?
(Who am I, the guardian of your house, no doubt?)
Solution: die Eingangstür (the entrance door)
🧩 Word Composition and Trivia
Die Eingangstür is a classic example of a German compound noun (Kompositum):
- Determinant: Eingang (entrance - specifies what kind of door)
- Base word: Tür (door - determines the gender and core meaning)
The gender (Genus) of the compound noun always follows the base word. Since it's die Tür, it's also die Eingangstür.
Interestingly, the design of entrance doors often carries cultural and architectural significance, revealing much about a building's style or the status of its inhabitants.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Eingangstür?
The word "Eingangstür" is feminine. The correct article is always die Eingangstür.