die  Erfahrung

B1

Estimated CEFR level.

/ɛɐ̯ˈfaːʁʊŋ/

💡 What does "die Erfahrung" mean?

Die Erfahrung (feminine noun, plural: die Erfahrungen) refers to the knowledge, understanding, or insight that a person gains through events (Erlebnisse), observation (Beobachtung), or through repeated practice of an activity. It can relate to practical skills as well as emotional or mental maturity.

• Practical knowledge: Knowledge acquired through doing (e.g., Berufserfahrung - professional experience).
• Experience (event): An event that was formative and from which one learned (e.g., eine schmerzliche Erfahrung - a painful experience).
• Body of knowledge: The sum of all knowledge and skills a person has in a field (e.g., Erfahrung im Projektmanagement - experience in project management).

🚨 Unlike in English, "Erfahrung" in German is often used in the plural (Erfahrungen) when referring to individual events or experiences (viele Erfahrungen sammeln - to gather many experiences), while the singular often refers to the general concept or accumulated competence (viel Erfahrung haben - to have a lot of experience).

Article rules for der, die, and das

📊 Grammar of "die Erfahrung"

"Erfahrung" is a feminine noun. The article is die.

Declension

Example Sentences

• Nominative: Die Erfahrung lehrt uns viel. (Experience teaches us a lot.)
• Genitive: Trotz ihrer geringen Erfahrung war sie erfolgreich. (Despite her limited experience, she was successful.)
• Dative: Wir vertrauen auf ihre langjährige Erfahrung. (We trust in her long-standing experience.)
• Accusative: Ich habe gute Erfahrungen mit diesem Produkt gemacht. (I have had good experiences with this product.)
• Plural: Sie teilte ihre Reiseerfahrungen mit uns. (She shared her travel experiences with us.)

🗣️ How to use "Erfahrung"?

"Erfahrung" is a very common word in German, used in everyday life as well as in professional contexts.

• Professional Context: Often refers to Berufserfahrung (work experience) or praktische Erfahrung (practical experience). Phrases like "mehrjährige Erfahrung in..." (several years of experience in...) are typical in job advertisements.
• Personal Context: Refers to experiences that shape a person (Lebenserfahrung - life experience, eine prägende Erfahrung - a formative experience).
• Knowledge/Learning: One can Erfahrungen sammeln (gather experiences), Erfahrung machen (have an experience), or aus Erfahrung lernen (learn from experience).

Typical Collocations:

• Erfahrung sammeln (to gather experience)
• Erfahrung haben (to have experience)
• Erfahrung machen (to have/make an experience, often specific ones, e.g., "eine schlechte Erfahrung machen" - to have a bad experience)
• aus Erfahrung sprechen/wissen (to speak/know from experience)
• aufgrund seiner/ihrer Erfahrung (based on his/her experience)
• mangelnde / fehlende / reiche / langjährige / einschlägige Erfahrung (lacking / missing / rich / long-standing / relevant experience)

Comparison:

• Erfahrung vs. Erlebnis: An Erlebnis is a single event, whereas Erfahrung often denotes the resulting knowledge or the sum of experiences. Every Erlebnis can become an Erfahrung, but not every Erfahrung is just a single Erlebnis.
• Erfahrung vs. Wissen: Wissen (knowledge) can be theoretical; Erfahrung is mostly practical or gained through living through something.

🧠 Mnemonics for "die Erfahrung"

Article Mnemonic (die)

Remember: Many abstract nouns ending in -ung in German are feminine (die Endung - the ending, die Meinung - the opinion, die Hoffnung - the hope, die Erfahrung - the experience). The suffix "-ung" strongly suggests die! Think of it like the English '-ing' forming nouns, but here it signals 'feminine'.

Meaning Mnemonic

Imagine you fare (like in 'farewell' or 'wayfarer', relates to fahren/Erfahrung) through life, collecting impressions and knowledge – that's your Erfahrung. Every journey, every 'faring', adds to your experience.

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms for Erfahrung

⚠️ Similar Words (Potential Confusion):

• Einfuhr: Import (of goods) - sounds vaguely similar.
• Gefahr: Danger, risk - unrelated meaning.

😄 A Little Joke

Warum nehmen Skelette nie an gefährlichen Experimenten teil?

Weil sie keine Erfahrung damit haben, aus ihrer Haut zu fahren! 😉

(Why do skeletons never take part in dangerous experiments? Because they have no experience jumping out of their skin! - A German idiom meaning 'to be extremely surprised/shocked/scared').

✍️ Poem about Experience

Durchs Leben gehst du, Schritt für Schritt,
nimmst Wissen und Erlebnisse mit.
Mal Freude hell, mal tiefes Leid,
formt dich die Zeit, macht dich bereit.
Was du erlebt, was du getan,
hängt als Erfahrung still dir an.
Sie ist ein Schatz, oft schwer bezahlt,
doch ihr Wert durch nichts verstrahlt.

(Through life you walk, step by step,
taking knowledge and events you kept.
Sometimes bright joy, sometimes deep pain,
time shapes you, makes you ready again.
What you've lived through, what you have done,
hangs as experience, second to none.
It's a treasure, often dearly bought,
yet its value is diminished by naught.)

❓ Riddle

Ich werde gesammelt, doch bin kein Ding,
ich wachse mit den Jahren, wie ein innerer Ring.
Man kauft mich nicht, man macht mich meist,
durch Tun, durch Scheitern, durch Lebensgeist.
Im Job gefragt, im Herzen tief,
was bin ich, das oft weise schlief?

(I am collected, but am not a thing,
I grow with the years, like an inner ring.
You don't buy me, you mostly make me,
through doing, through failing, through life's decree.
Sought after in work, deep in the heart,
what am I, that often slept wisely apart?)
... Die Erfahrung (Experience)

🧩 Other Information about Erfahrung

Word Formation (Wortbildung):

The word "Erfahrung" derives from the verb "fahren" (to travel, to drive), with the prefix "er-" which often indicates a process or the attainment of something (as in "erlernen" - to learn, "erreichen" - to reach). Originally, it likely referred to the knowledge gathered during travels (journeys/Fahrten). The suffix "-ung" turns the verb into a noun.

Philosophical Significance (Philosophische Bedeutung):

In philosophy (especially Empiricism), experience (Erfahrung) is considered the foundation of all knowledge. It often stands in contrast to pure reason (Rationalism).

Cultural Differences (Kulturelle Unterschiede):

The value placed on experience (especially age-related experience versus youthful dynamism) can vary across cultures.