die  Entwässerung

C1

Estimated CEFR level.

/ɛntˈvɛsɐʁʊŋ/

💧 What does Entwässerung mean?

Die Entwässerung is the German word for drainage or dewatering. It describes the process or the system used to remove or channel away water from a specific area. It's used in several contexts:

• Technology/Construction: The controlled removal of surface water or seepage from buildings, properties, or agricultural land using channels, pipes (Dränagen), or ditches. Examples: die Dachentwässerung (roof drainage), die Grundstücksentwässerung (property drainage).
• Geography/Environment: The natural runoff of water from an area, for instance, via rivers into the sea.
• Medicine (less common): Reducing water retention in the body, e.g., using medication (diuretics).

So, it refers to measures or systems designed to prevent unwanted water accumulation and the damage it can cause.

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar Spotlight: Die Entwässerung

The noun „Entwässerung“ is feminine. Therefore, the correct article is always „die“.

It belongs to the large group of German nouns ending in "-ung", which are almost exclusively feminine.

Example Sentences

1. Die Entwässerung des Kellers muss dringend repariert werden.
   (The drainage of the basement urgently needs to be repaired.)
2. Ohne eine funktionierende Entwässerung wäre der Acker ständig überflutet.
   (Without functional drainage, the field would be constantly flooded.)
3. Die Planung der städtischen Entwässerung ist eine komplexe Aufgabe für Ingenieure.
   (Planning urban drainage is a complex task for engineers.)
4. Nach starken Regenfällen erreichte die Entwässerung ihre Kapazitätsgrenze.
   (After heavy rainfall, the drainage system reached its capacity limit.)

🛠️ How to use "Entwässerung"?

The term die Entwässerung is primarily used in technical, constructional, and agricultural contexts.

• In construction: People talk about Gebäudeentwässerung (building drainage: roof, basement), Grundstücksentwässerung (site drainage), or Straßenentwässerung (road drainage). It's about safely channeling away rainwater and wastewater.
• In agriculture: It refers to the Dränage (drainage) of fields to prevent waterlogging and enable cultivation (Melioration).
• In gardening: Good Entwässerung in plant pots and beds is crucial to prevent root rot.
• In flood protection: Systems for the rapid Entwässerung of flooded areas.

Less commonly, the term is found in medicine, meaning dehydration or the therapeutic removal of body fluids.

⚠️ Be careful not to confuse it with Bewässerung, which means the opposite: irrigation (adding water).

🧠 Mnemonics for Entwässerung

For the article "die": Think of related feminine words like die Leitung (the pipe), die Rinne (the gutter/channel), die Anlage (the system) – all parts of a drainage system. Or remember the rule: Nouns ending in -ung are almost always feminine, so it's die Entwässerung.

For the meaning: Break down the word. Ent- often means 'away', 'out', 'remove' (like in entfernen - to remove). Wässerung relates to 'Wasser' (water). So, Ent + wässerung = taking water away = drainage/dewatering.

🔁 Similar & Opposite: Synonyms and Antonyms

Similar but potentially misleading words:

• Verwässerung: Dilution (of a liquid) or watering down (e.g., a statement).
• Abwasser: Wastewater/sewage (the dirty water itself, not the process of removing it).

😄 A Little Joke

Fragt der Bauherr den Architekten: „Ist die Kellerentwässerung wirklich nötig? Das kostet ja extra!“
Sagt der Architekt: „Nur, wenn Sie nicht vorhaben, im Keller ein Hallenbad zu eröffnen!“

Translation:
The client asks the architect: "Is the basement drainage really necessary? It costs extra!"
The architect replies: "Only if you're not planning on opening an indoor swimming pool in the basement!"

📜 Poem about Entwässerung

Wenn Regen fällt und Wasser steigt,
Die Nässe tief ins Mauerwerk schleicht.
Dann braucht das Haus, das Feld, der Weg,
Klugheit, Rohr und festen Steg.

Die Entwässerung, gut geplant,
Leitet Wasser fort, von Menschenhand.
Ob Rinne, Graben, tiefes Rohr,
Sie schützt vor Schimmel, bringt's hervor:
Ein trocken Land, ein festes Haus,
Treibt Nässe und Probleme aus.

Translation:
When rain falls and water rises,
Dampness creeps deep into the masonry.
Then the house, the field, the path needs,
Cleverness, pipe, and sturdy walkway.

Drainage, well-planned,
Channels water away, by human hand.
Whether gutter, ditch, or deep pipe,
It protects from mold, brings forth:
A dry land, a solid house,
Drives out dampness and problems.

❓ Riddle Time

Ich sorge dafür, dass Füße trocken bleiben,
auch wenn Wolken Wasser vom Himmel treiben.
Ich liege oft versteckt, im Boden oder am Dach,
und halte Keller und Felder wach.

Mal bin ich Rohr, mal Graben tief,
damit das Wasser zügig schlief'.

Was bin ich?

Translation:
I make sure that feet stay dry,
even when clouds drive water from the sky.
I often lie hidden, in the ground or on the roof,
and keep basements and fields alert (i.e., usable/not waterlogged).

Sometimes I'm a pipe, sometimes a deep ditch,
so that the water quickly 'slept' (i.e., flowed away).

What am I?

Solution: Die Entwässerung (or a drainage system)

✨ Other Interesting Details

Word Composition

The word „Entwässerung“ is a noun derived from the verb „entwässern“ (to drain/dewater). It is composed of:

• Prefix ent-: meaning 'away', 'remove', 'out'.
• Stem wässer: from „Wasser“ (water).
• Suffix -n: to form the verb.
• Suffix -ung: to form the noun from the verb, often denoting a process or result.

Related Terms

• Entwässerungsanlage: The entire drainage system (pipes, channels, etc.).
• Entwässerungsgraben: A drainage ditch.
• Dachentwässerung: Roof drainage system (gutters and downpipes).
• Entwässerungspumpe: A drainage pump.