die
Feuerwache
🚒 What does 'die Feuerwache' mean?
The German word Feuerwache translates to fire station or firehouse in English. It refers specifically to the building that houses the fire department, including the fire engines, equipment, and living/working quarters for the firefighters.
It's a feminine noun, so the correct definite article is die: die Feuerwache.
Article rules for der, die, and das
-e/-ee → almost always feminine.
There are many -e nouns, many of which are feminine, but there are also some important exceptions.
🧐 Grammar Deep Dive: Declension
The noun 'Feuerwache' is feminine. Here are the declension tables for singular and plural:
Singular
| Case | Definite Article | Indefinite Article | English Translation (Case) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | die Feuerwache | eine Feuerwache | the fire station (subject) |
| Genitiv | der Feuerwache | einer Feuerwache | of the fire station |
| Dativ | der Feuerwache | einer Feuerwache | to/for the fire station |
| Akkusativ | die Feuerwache | eine Feuerwache | the fire station (direct object) |
Plural
| Case | Definite Article | Indefinite Article | English Translation (Case) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | die Feuerwachen | - Feuerwachen | the fire stations (subject) |
| Genitiv | der Feuerwachen | - Feuerwachen | of the fire stations |
| Dativ | den Feuerwachen | - Feuerwachen | to/for the fire stations |
| Akkusativ | die Feuerwachen | - Feuerwachen | the fire stations (direct object) |
💡 Example Sentences
- Die nächste Feuerwache ist nur wenige Minuten entfernt.
(The nearest fire station is only a few minutes away.) - Der Tag der offenen Tür in der Feuerwache war sehr beliebt.
(The open house day at the fire station was very popular.) - Viele Kinder träumen davon, einmal eine Feuerwache von innen zu sehen.
(Many children dream of seeing a fire station from the inside one day.) - In unserer Stadt gibt es drei moderne Feuerwachen.
(There are three modern fire stations in our city.)
🗣️ Everyday Usage
The term 'Feuerwache' is specifically used to denote the building serving as the base for the fire department (die Feuerwehr). It's the location from which emergency responses are launched.
Important Distinction:
- Die Feuerwache: The building, the station.
- Die Feuerwehr: The fire department/service as an organization or the group of people. Sometimes 'Feuerwehr' is used colloquially for the building, but 'Feuerwache' is more precise.
For example, you would talk about fahren zur Feuerwache (driving to the fire station) or that eine neue Feuerwache wird gebaut (a new fire station is being built).
🧠 Mnemonics and Memory Aids
Article Mnemonic: Think of 'die Wache' (the guard post/watch). A guard post is often a place, and 'Wache' is feminine in German. So, the Feuer-Wache (fire watch/station) is also die.
Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine firefighters keeping 'watch' (Wache) for a 'fire' (Feuer) inside the building. They are at the Feuer-Wache.
🔄 Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms (Similar Meaning)
- Feuerwehrhaus: (Fire department house) - Very common synonym.
- Feuerwehrzentrale: (Fire department central) - Often used for larger, central stations.
- Feuerwehrstützpunkt: (Fire department base) - Emphasizes its function as a base.
- Rüsthaus: (Equipment house) - Primarily used in Austria.
- Gerätehaus: (Apparatus/equipment house) - Often for smaller stations, especially volunteer ones, focusing on equipment storage.
Antonyms (Opposites - Indirect)
There are no direct antonyms, but conceptual opposites could include:
- Einsatzort: (Deployment site/location) - The place where the emergency is happening (where the firefighters go from the station).
- Brandherd: (Source of the fire).
😂 A Little Joke
Warum nehmen Feuerwehrleute immer einen Bleistift mit zur Feuerwache?
(Why do firefighters always take a pencil to the fire station?)
Damit sie die Brandherde 'zeichnen' können!
(So they can 'draw' (or 'mark') the sources of the fire! - It's a pun, as 'zeichnen' means 'to draw' and 'auszeichnen/kennzeichnen' can mean 'to mark'). 😉
📜 Poem about the Feuerwache
Die Feuerwache, rot und groß,
(The fire station, red and large,)
Steht bereit, was kommt da bloß?
(Stands ready, what might just emerge?)
Sirenen heulen, Tore auf,
(Sirens wail, gates open wide,)
Die Retter starten schnellen Lauf.
(The rescuers start their swift stride.)
Im Haus die Helfer, Tag und Nacht,
(Inside the house, helpers day and night,)
Halten für uns alle Wacht.
(Keep watch for us all, shining bright.)
❓ Riddle Time
Ich habe große Tore, aber kein Schloss.
(I have large gates, but no lock.)
Drinnen schlafen rote Rösser, stark und flott.
(Inside sleep red horses, strong and quick.)
Wenn es brennt, dann eilen sie hinaus im Nu.
(When there's a fire, they rush out in a flash.)
Wer oder was bin ich, sag du?
(Who or what am I, tell me now?)
Solution: Die Feuerwache (The fire station)
🧩 Word Building Blocks & More
Word Composition:
'Die Feuerwache' is a compound noun (Kompositum):
- Das Feuer: Meaning 'fire', referring to the primary hazard the facility addresses.
- Die Wache: Meaning 'guard', 'watch', or 'station', referring to the building or place of readiness. The gender of the last part ('Wache') determines the gender of the whole word (feminine).
Trivia:
- Modern fire stations (moderne Feuerwachen) are often high-tech buildings with specialized training areas, workshops, and communication centers.
- There are professional fire stations (Berufsfeuerwachen) staffed by full-time firefighters and stations for volunteer fire departments (Freiwillige Feuerwehren).
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Feuerwache?
The correct article for the word 'Feuerwache' is always die. It is a feminine noun and refers to the building where the fire department is housed, also known as a fire station or firehouse.