die
Garage
🚗 What exactly is a Garage?
Die Garage (noun, feminine) refers to a usually lockable room or building primarily used to shelter vehicles – especially cars – protecting them from weather conditions and theft.
Often, eine Garage is also used as a storage space for tools, bicycles, or other items. It can be part of a residential building (attached or integrated) or stand as a separate structure on a property.
There is only one article for this word: die Garage. ⚠️ Confusion with other articles is not possible here.
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 in Detail: Die Garage
The word "Garage" is a feminine noun. Therefore, the definite article in the nominative singular is "die". Here is the complete declension:
Singular
| Case | Definite Article | Indefinite Article |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die Garage | eine Garage |
| Genitive | der Garage | einer Garage |
| Dative | der Garage | einer Garage |
| Accusative | die Garage | eine Garage |
Plural
| Case | Definite Article | Indefinite Article |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die Garagen | Garagen / some garages |
| Genitive | der Garagen | Garagen / of some garages |
| Dative | den Garagen | Garagen / to/for some garages |
| Accusative | die Garagen | Garagen / some garages |
Example Sentences
- Das Auto steht sicher in der Garage. (The car is safely in the garage.)
- Wir müssen die Garage aufräumen. (We have to clean up the garage.)
- Das Dach der Garage ist undicht. (The roof of the garage is leaking.)
- In unserer Siedlung haben alle Häuser Garagen. (In our housing estate, all houses have garages.)
💬 How is "die Garage" used?
"Die Garage" is very commonly used in everyday language when talking about parking vehicles or storing items.
- Typical Contexts: House building, buying a car, looking for parking, cleaning up, car repairs.
- Common Collocations: in die Garage fahren (to drive into the garage), aus der Garage holen (to get out of the garage), die Garage abschließen (to lock the garage), eine Garage mieten/bauen (to rent/build a garage), Garagentor (garage door), Garagenverkauf (garage sale/yard sale).
- Distinction: While a Garage is an enclosed space, a Carport is usually just roofed and open on the sides. A Stellplatz is often just a marked area outdoors or in an underground parking lot. A Werkstatt (workshop/repair shop) is primarily for repairs, not just storage.
🧠 Mnemonics and Memory Aids
Remembering the Article
Many words ending in "-age" borrowed from French are feminine in German (die): die Garage, die Etage (floor/level), die Massage. Think of the elegant French origin needing a feminine touch: die Garage.
Remembering the Meaning
Imagine your car saying "Gar-ahh-ge!" with relief when it's finally safe and dry inside the Garage.
↔️ Synonyms & Antonyms for die Garage
Synonyms (similar meaning):
- Autoschuppen: (Rather dated or rural) A simple shed for a car.
- Abstellraum (für Fahrzeuge): Emphasizes the storage function.
- Einstellhalle/Einstellraum: (More common in Switzerland/Austria) Similar meaning to Garage.
- Carport: (Not a direct synonym, but related) Roofed parking space, usually open.
- Hochgarage/Tiefgarage: Specific types (multi-story/underground parking garage).
Antonyms (opposites in context):
- Freifläche/Parkplatz im Freien: Open space/outdoor parking space (no shelter).
- Straße: Street (public space, not private shelter).
- Carport: (In the sense of open vs. closed)
Similar but Misleading Words:
😂 A Little Joke
Warum hat der Mathematiker sein Auto nie in die Garage gestellt?
Weil er Angst hatte, dass es nach dem Schließen des Tores imaginär wird! 😄
Translation: Why did the mathematician never put his car in the garage? Because he was afraid it would become imaginary after closing the door!
✍️ A Little Poem
Die Garage, fest und schlicht,
bietet Schutz bei Tag und Licht.
Das Auto ruht, vom Regen frei,
Werkzeug liegt auch oft dabei.
Ein sich'rer Ort, vier Wände kühl,
für Rad und Fahrzeug, das ist ihr Ziel.
Translation: The garage, firm and plain, / Offers shelter in sun and rain. / The car rests, free from the wet, / Tools often lie there yet. / A safe place, four cool walls, / For bike and vehicle, it serves all.
❓ Riddle Time
Ich habe ein Tor, aber kein Schloss im üblichen Sinn.
Ich biete Schutz, wenn Stürme zieh'n.
Dein Auto schläft bei mir gern ein.
Was mag ich wohl sein?
Translation:
I have a door, but no lock in the usual sense.
I offer protection when storms commence.
Your car likes to sleep inside me.
What might I be?
Solution: Die Garage (The garage)
💡 Other Information
- Word Origin: The word "Garage" comes from French (garage), meaning 'shelter', 'shed'. It derives from the verb garer, meaning 'to shelter safely', '(a ship) to dock', or '(a vehicle) to park'.
- Compounds: Common compound words include Garagentor (garage door), Garagenauffahrt (garage driveway), Garagenkomplex (garage complex), Garagenmiete (garage rent), Garagenverkauf (garage sale/yard sale).
- Cultural Note: In many countries, especially the USA, the garage is also a symbol of a place where hobbyists tinker or bands start their careers ("garage band").
Summary: is it der, die or das Garage?
The German word 'Garage' is feminine, so the correct article is always die Garage. The plural is die Garagen.
