die
Gefährlichkeit
🧐 What does Gefährlichkeit mean?
Die Gefährlichkeit is a German noun that describes the quality or state of being dangerous. It's derived from the adjective gefährlich (dangerous).
It refers to the potential of a thing, situation, or person to cause harm, injury, or other negative consequences. It's essentially a measure of the risk or threat posed by something. Think of it as dangerousness or hazardousness in English.
As an abstract concept, die Gefährlichkeit is mostly used in the singular form. A plural form (die Gefährlichkeiten) is very rare and rather uncommon.
⚠️ Be careful: Don't confuse die Gefährlichkeit (the quality of being dangerous) with die Gefahr (the concrete danger or risk itself).
Article rules for der, die, and das
-keit → always feminine.
✍️ Grammar Corner: Die Gefährlichkeit
Die Gefährlichkeit is a feminine noun. It's typically used without an article or with the definite article die. As an abstract noun, it almost exclusively appears in the singular.
Singular Declension
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Gefährlichkeit |
| Genitive | der | Gefährlichkeit |
| Dative | der | Gefährlichkeit |
| Accusative | die | Gefährlichkeit |
📝 Example Sentences
- Die Gefährlichkeit der Situation wurde unterschätzt.
(The dangerousness of the situation was underestimated.) - Man muss die Gefährlichkeit dieser Chemikalie ernst nehmen.
(One must take the dangerousness of this chemical seriously.) - Die Polizei bewertete die Gefährlichkeit des Täters als hoch.
(The police rated the dangerousness of the perpetrator as high.) - Trotz aller Warnungen war ihm die Gefährlichkeit seines Handelns nicht bewusst.
(Despite all warnings, he was not aware of the dangerousness of his actions.)
🗣️ How Gefährlichkeit is Used
Die Gefährlichkeit is used to describe the abstract measure or quality of being dangerous. People often talk about:
- die Gefährlichkeit einer Situation (e.g., natural disasters, accidents) - the dangerousness of a situation
- die Gefährlichkeit einer Substanz (e.g., poisons, chemicals) - the hazardousness of a substance
- die Gefährlichkeit einer Krankheit - the dangerousness of a disease
- die Gefährlichkeit einer Handlung oder eines Unternehmens - the riskiness/dangerousness of an action or undertaking
- die Gefährlichkeit einer Person (e.g., a criminal) - the dangerousness of a person
- die Gefährlichkeit von Tieren - the dangerousness of animals
Unlike die Gefahr, which often refers to a concrete, immediate threat ("In Gefahr sein" - to be in danger), die Gefährlichkeit describes the inherent potential to cause harm.
Example: A high cliff represents a Gefahr (concrete danger). Its Gefährlichkeit (abstract dangerousness) results from its height and the nature of the ground.
💡 Mnemonics and Memory Aids
Article Tip: Nouns ending in -heit and -keit are (almost always) feminine in German. Think of words like Freundlichkeit (friendliness), Sicherheit (safety), Sauberkeit (cleanliness)... and, of course, Gefährlichkeit. They all take the article die.
Meaning Tip: The word contains "Gefahr" (danger) and ends with "-lichkeit" (similar to -liness or -ness in English, indicating a quality). So, Gefährlichkeit describes the quality (-keit) of being gefährlich (dangerous), stemming from Gefahr (danger).
↔️ Opposites and Similar Words
Synonyms (Similar Meaning):
- Bedrohlichkeit: Threatening nature, menace (emphasizes the threat).
- Riskantheit / Risikograd: Riskiness / degree of risk (focuses on the risk involved).
- Brisanz: Explosiveness, sensitivity, problematic nature (highlights the delicate or volatile aspect).
- Schädlichkeit: Harmfulness (refers to the potential to cause damage).
- Gewagtheit: Daring, boldness, riskiness (emphasizes the risky nature of an action).
Antonyms (Opposites):
- Harmlosigkeit: Harmlessness (the quality of causing no harm).
- Sicherheit: Safety, security (the state of being protected from danger).
- Ungefährlichkeit: Non-dangerousness, innocuousness.
- Unbedenklichkeit: Harmlessness, lack of cause for concern (state where there are no safety concerns).
⚠️ Similar, but Different Words:
😂 A Little Joke
Warum hat der Mathematiker Angst vor negativen Zahlen?
Er fürchtet ihre Gefährlichkeit unterhalb der Null-Linie! 😄
(Why was the mathematician afraid of negative numbers? He feared their dangerousness below the zero line!)
📜 Poem about Gefährlichkeit
Ein Abgrund tief, ein schmaler Grat,
Die Warnung spricht's, ein weiser Rat.
Die Gefährlichkeit, sie lauert still,
Wo Leichtsinn herrscht und eigner Will'.
Man wägt das Risiko, die Chance klein,
Soll man's riskieren, soll man's sein?
Die Ahnung mahnt, der Verstand erfasst,
Welch Unheil droht bei schwerer Last.
(A deep abyss, a narrow ridge,
The warning speaks, a wise adage.
The dangerousness, it lurks unseen,
Where carelessness and self-will convene.)
(One weighs the risk, the chance so slight,
Should one attempt, or cease the fight?
Intuition warns, the mind perceives,
What disaster looms when burden grieves.)
❓ Little Riddle
Ich bin eine Eigenschaft, nicht greifbar, doch real,
Beschreibe das Risiko, die drohende Qual.
Man misst mich bei Stürmen, bei Giften, im Streit,
Ich ende auf "-keit" und mahne zur Vorsichtigkeit.
Was bin ich? (Lösung: die Gefährlichkeit)
(I am a quality, not tangible, yet real,
I describe the risk, the impending ordeal.
Measured in storms, with poisons, in strife,
I end with "-keit" and urge caution in life.)
(What am I?)
(Answer: die Gefährlichkeit / dangerousness)
🧩 Word Building Blocks
The word Gefährlichkeit is composed of:
- Gefahr: The root word, meaning danger or risk.
- -lich: A suffix forming adjectives (here: gefährlich - dangerous).
- -keit: A suffix forming nouns from adjectives, expressing a quality or state (like -ness or -ity in English).
So, it literally describes the quality (-keit) of being dangerous (-lich), based on danger (Gefahr).
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Gefährlichkeit?
The word Gefährlichkeit is feminine. The correct article is die. So, it's die Gefährlichkeit.