die  Frequenz

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/fʁekvɛnʦ/

🧐 What does "die Frequenz" mean?

The German word die Frequenz primarily has two meanings:

• Frequency (Occurrence): It describes how often something happens within a specific timeframe or group. Example: Die Frequenz der Zugabfahrten wurde erhöht. (The frequency of train departures was increased.)
• Frequency (Physics): In physics and technology, it refers to the number of oscillations (e.g., of waves, sound, or light) per unit of time, usually per second. The unit is Hertz (Hz). Example: Die Frequenz dieses Radiosenders beträgt 98,5 Megahertz. (The frequency of this radio station is 98.5 Megahertz.)

The word only takes the article die because it's a feminine noun. There are no common mistakes regarding the article. ⚠️ Be careful not to confuse it with "Frequentierung" (customer frequency, footfall), although the meaning is related.

Article rules for der, die, and das

📝 Grammar in Detail: Die Frequenz

The noun "Frequenz" is feminine. Therefore, the article is always die.

Declension of "die Frequenz"

Example Sentences

1. Die Frequenz der Fehler war ungewöhnlich hoch. (The frequency of errors was unusually high.)
2. Wir müssen die Frequenz des Signals messen. (We need to measure the frequency of the signal.)
3. Mit welcher Frequenz besuchst du das Fitnessstudio? (With what frequency do you visit the gym?)
4. Der Arzt überprüfte die Frequenz seines Herzschlags. (The doctor checked the frequency of his heartbeat.)
5. Unterschiedliche Farben haben unterschiedliche Lichtfrequenzen. (Different colors have different light frequencies.)

💡 How to use "die Frequenz"?

"Die Frequenz" is used in various contexts:

• Science & Technology: Very common in physics (sound, light, electricity), communications engineering (radio frequencies), and mathematics/statistics (frequency distributions).
• Everyday Language: Often used in the sense of frequency or regularity. People talk about the Frequenz of bus connections, the Frequenz of visits, or the Frequenz of certain events.
• Medicine: Herzfrequenz (heart rate), Atemfrequenz (breathing rate).
• Linguistics: Wortfrequenz (word frequency - how often a word appears in a text).

Compared to "Häufigkeit" (frequency, incidence), "Frequenz" is often more specific to repeated events or oscillations, while "Häufigkeit" can be more general. "Rate" (rate) is similar but often emphasizes the ratio to a unit of time (e.g., Geburtenrate pro Jahr - birth rate per year).

🧠 Mnemonics for "die Frequenz"

For the article (die): Think of "die Radiowelle" (the radio wave). Radio waves have a certain Frequenz. Since Welle is feminine (die), this might help remember die Frequenz. Or: Words ending in -enz in German are often feminine (like die Eleganz, die Präsenz, die Tendenz).

For the meaning: Imagine someone asking you "How frequently do you go to the gym?". The answer describes the Frequenz of your visits. Or think of a radio: you tune it to find the right Frequenz (number of oscillations) for your station.

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms for Frequenz

⚠️ Similar Words:

• Frequentierung: Refers specifically to the frequency of visits (e.g., Kundenfrequentierung - customer traffic/footfall in a store).

😄 A Little Joke about Frequenz

Warum gehen Radiowellen nie zur Schule?
Weil sie schon alle Frequenzen kennen!

(Why do radio waves never go to school? Because they already know all the frequencies!)

📜 Poem about Frequenz

Die Welle tanzt, mal hoch, mal tief,
in Schwingungen, die niemand rief.
Ihre Zahl pro Sekunde, ganz präsent,
ist die Frequenz, die man hier kennt.
Ob Schall im Ohr, ob Licht im Raum,
ob Herzschlag schnell, ein kurzer Traum,
sie misst das Oft, das Immerzu,
bringt Ordnung in die Welt im Nu.

(The wave dances, now high, now low,
in oscillations no one called to flow.
Its number per second, quite present,
is the frequency known in this extent.
Whether sound in ear, or light in space,
or heartbeat fast, a fleeting trace,
it measures the often, the always-too,
brings order to the world anew.)

🧩 Riddle Time

Ich messe, wie oft Dinge gescheh'n,
ob Wellen tanzen, Winde weh'n.
In Hertz werd' ich oft ausgedrückt,
hab' Technik und Physik entzückt.
Ich sag', wie oft dein Herz wohl schlägt,
und wie das Radio Wellen trägt.

Wer bin ich?
(...) Die Frequenz

(I measure how often things occur,
whether waves dance, or winds stir.
In Hertz, I'm often expressed, you see,
delighting technology and physics with glee.
I tell how often your heart might beat,
and how the radio carries waves so neat.

What am I?
(...) Frequency / Die Frequenz)

✨ More about Frequenz

• Word Origin: The word comes from the Latin frequentia, meaning 'frequency', 'numerousness', 'crowd'. It derives from the adjective frequens ('frequent', 'numerous', 'often visited').
• Compound Nouns: Frequenz is part of many compound words, e.g.:
  • Frequenzbereich: Frequency range/band.
  • Hochfrequenz: High frequency (HF).
  • Niederfrequenz: Low frequency (LF).
  • Herzfrequenz: Heart rate.
  • Wortfrequenz: Word frequency.