die  Gattung

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈɡatʊŋ/

📖 What does "die Gattung" mean?

Die Gattung is a feminine noun that describes a category or classification. It's used in various contexts:

• Biology: A hierarchical rank in biological classification, above Art (species) and below Familie (family). For example, the Gattung Panthera includes lions and tigers. This corresponds to the English term genus.
• Arts & Literature: A category of works characterized by shared features in form, style, or content. For example, the literary Gattungen (genres) of Lyrik (poetry), Epik (epic/narrative), Dramatik (drama); musical Gattungen like symphony or opera; film Gattungen like comedy or thriller. This corresponds to the English term genre.
• General: A kind, sort, or type of something. For example, "Diese Art von Problem gehört zu einer ganz anderen Gattung." (This kind of problem belongs to a completely different category/type.).

So, it always describes a group or class of things sharing common characteristics.

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar of "Gattung" in Detail

"Gattung" is a feminine noun. The article is die. It follows the typical declension pattern for feminine nouns, especially those ending in "-ung".

Declension Singular

Declension Plural

📝 Example Sentences

1. Der Löwe gehört zur Gattung Panthera.
   (The lion belongs to the genus Panthera.)
2. Welche literarische Gattung bevorzugst du?
   (Which literary genre do you prefer?)
3. Wir müssen verschiedene Gattungen von Software unterscheiden.
   (We need to differentiate between various types/categories of software.)
4. Die Ausstellung zeigte Kunstwerke verschiedenster Gattungen.
   (The exhibition showed artworks of the most diverse genres.)

💡 How to use "die Gattung"?

"Gattung" is used to classify or categorize things. The context determines the precise meaning:

• Scientific (Biology): Here, Gattung (genus) has a very specific meaning as a taxonomic rank.
• Artistic (Literature, Music, Film): Here, it refers to established forms or styles (genre). One speaks of literarische Gattungen (literary genres), musikalische Gattungen (musical genres), or Film-Gattungen (film genres).
• General: Metaphorically, it can also stand for Art (kind), Sorte (sort), or Typ (type), often emphasizing a fundamental difference ("Das ist eine ganz andere Gattung von Problem." - That's a whole different kind/category of problem.).

Distinction from similar words:

• Art: Often more specific than Gattung (in biology, ranked below Gattung), but often used synonymously in general language. Art can also refer to the way something is or is done ("seine Art zu sprechen" - his way of speaking).
• Sorte: More commonly used for products, food, or plants (e.g., Apfelsorte - apple variety).
• Typ: More colloquial for a category or a characteristic example.

Using "Gattung" often sounds a bit more formal or scientific than "Art" or "Typ", except in established contexts like arts and literature.

🧠 Mnemonics and Memory Aids

Mnemonic for the article: Remember that most German nouns ending in -ung are feminine (die). Think of die Meinung (opinion), die Leitung (management/pipe), die Hoffnung (hope)... and therefore, die Gattung!

Mnemonic for the meaning: Imagine you have to sort things into categories, maybe you're 'gathering' similar items. This 'gathering' creates a Gattung – a kind, type, or genus.

↔️ Synonyms and Antonyms

⚠️ Similar but different words:

• der Gatte / die Gattin: husband / wife. Etymologically related (meaning something belonging together), but completely different meaning! Don't mix them up.

😂 A Little Joke

Lehrer: "Wer kann mir drei verschiedene Gattungen von Säugetieren nennen?"
Fritzchen: "Klar! Hauskatzen, Wildkatzen und Muskelkater!"

Teacher: "Who can name three different kinds (Gattungen) of mammals?"
Little Fritz: "Sure! Domestic cats, wild cats, and sore muscles (Muskelkater)!"

(Note: "Muskelkater" sounds like it contains "Kater" which means male cat, but it actually means sore muscles. It's a pun.)

📜 Poem about Gattung

Ob Tier, ob Pflanze, Kunst, Musik,
man braucht System und auch Logik.
Man teilt sie ein, schafft Ordnung schnell,
die Gattung hilft, ganz prinzipiell.
Vom Löwen bis zur Sinfonie,
sie zeigt die Art, die Energie.
Verstehen, was zusammenhält,
in dieser großen, weiten Welt.

Be it animal, plant, art, music,
one needs system and also logic.
One classifies them, creates order fast,
the genus/genre helps, fundamentally.
From the lion to the symphony,
it shows the kind, the energy.
Understanding what holds together,
in this big, wide world.

🕵️‍♀️ Little Riddle

Ich bin kein Tier, doch ordne sie.
Ich bin kein Buch, doch nenn' die Poesie.
Ich bin kein Film, doch sag', was Komödie sei.
Ich schaffe Ordnung, eins, zwei, drei.

Was bin ich?

I am not an animal, yet I classify them.
I am not a book, yet I name poetry.
I am not a film, yet I say what comedy is.
I create order, one, two, three.

What am I?

(Solution: die Gattung)

⚙️ Further Details

Word Formation: The word "Gattung" derives from the verb "gatten", which is rare today (except in "begatten" = to mate/copulate) and originally meant "to join together, unite". The suffix "-ung" marks it as a noun derived from a verb, describing a process or its result – here, the result of joining things into a group.

International: The biological concept of Gattung (genus) is international, as is the idea of Genre in arts and literature, often represented by the German word Gattung or the loanword Genre.