die  Gewohnheit

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ɡəˈvoːnhaɪt/

📖 What does "die Gewohnheit" mean?

Die Gewohnheit (noun, feminine) refers to an action, way of thinking, or feeling that has become second nature through frequent repetition. It's something one does or feels regularly, often unconsciously.

There is only this one meaning, which is firmly associated with the article "die".

• Gute Gewohnheiten (Good habits): e.g., exercising regularly, eating healthily.
• Schlechte Gewohnheiten (Laster) (Bad habits / vices): e.g., smoking, biting nails.
• Soziale Gewohnheiten (Sitten, Bräuche) (Social habits / customs): e.g., shaking hands as a greeting.

⚠️ Caution: Do not confuse it with "Angelegenheit" (matter, affair)!

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar of "die Gewohnheit" in Detail

The word "Gewohnheit" is a feminine noun. The article is always die.

📝 Example Sentences for Grammar

1. Frühes Aufstehen ist eine gute Gewohnheit.
   (Getting up early is a good habit.)
2. Die Macht der Gewohnheit ist stark.
   (The power of habit is strong.)
3. Er handelt oft aus reiner Gewohnheit.
   (He often acts purely out of habit.)
4. Sie möchte ihre schlechten Gewohnheiten ablegen.
   (She wants to get rid of her bad habits.)
5. Wir müssen uns von alten Gewohnheiten trennen.
   (We need to part with old habits.)

💡 How to use "die Gewohnheit"

"Gewohnheit" is frequently used in everyday language to describe regular behaviors. Here are some typical contexts:

• Personal Routines: Describing things one does automatically, e.g., drinking coffee in the morning.
  Example: "Es ist meine Gewohnheit, vor dem Schlafen zu lesen." (It's my habit to read before sleeping.)
• Social Norms: Referring to common behaviors in a society or group (often synonymous with "Sitte" or "Brauch" - custom).
  Example: "In Deutschland ist es Gewohnheit, pünktlich zu sein." (In Germany, it's customary to be punctual.)
• Positive/Negative Evaluation: Often distinguishing between "gute" (good) and "schlechte" (bad) Gewohnheiten.
  Example: "Rauchen ist eine schädliche Gewohnheit." (Smoking is a harmful habit.)
• Fixed Phrases:
  • aus Gewohnheit: doing something because one always does it that way.
    Example: "Er schloss die Tür aus Gewohnheit ab." (He locked the door out of habit.)
  • zur Gewohnheit werden: something starts to happen regularly.
    Example: "Sein täglicher Spaziergang wurde ihm schnell zur Gewohnheit." (His daily walk quickly became a habit for him.)
  • etwas zur Gewohnheit machen: consciously starting to do something regularly.
    Example: "Sie machte es sich zur Gewohnheit, jeden Tag zu meditieren." (She made it a habit to meditate every day.)

Compared to Angewohnheit (often slightly negative or more specific to a person), Gewohnheit is more neutral and broader. Sitte and Brauch relate more strongly to social or cultural conventions (customs, traditions).

🧠 Memory Aids for "die Gewohnheit"

For the article "die": Think of die Routine (another feminine word) which is often a form of Gewohnheit. Both end in 'e' (though that doesn't always work) and are feminine. Or, think of how habits often die hard - "die" Gewohnheit.

For the meaning: Imagine how you "get used to" something (sich gewöhnen an). What arises from getting used to something is die Gewohnheit. It's the result of gewöhnen.

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

⚠️ Similar Words

Be careful not to confuse "Gewohnheit" with words like "Wohnung" (apartment) or "Angelegenheit" (matter), even if they sound somewhat similar or share parts.

😂 A Little Joke

Warum hat der Wecker aufgehört zu klingeln?
Er wollte nicht zur Gewohnheit werden!

Why did the alarm clock stop ringing?
It didn't want to become a habit!

✍️ Little Poem about Habit

Die Gewohnheit, ein stiller Gast,
der unbemerkt im Alltag fasst.
Mal gut, mal schlecht, mal alt, mal neu,
sie bleibt uns oft ein Leben treu.
Ob Morgenkaffee, Abendlied,
die Gewohnheit uns durchs Leben zieht.

Habit, a silent guest you see,
Takes hold unnoticed, stealthily.
Sometimes good, sometimes bad, old or new,
It often stays life's whole way through.
From morning coffee to evening song,
Habit pulls us all along.

🧩 Riddle

Ich bin stark, doch unsichtbar,
bin oft bequem, doch manchmal Plag'.
Man tut mich meistens unbewusst,
mal mit Freude, mal mit Frust.
Man kann mich ändern, wenn man will,
doch oft bleib ich ganz lange still.

Was bin ich?

I am strong, yet invisible,
Often comfy, but sometimes trouble.
You do me mostly unaware,
Sometimes with joy, sometimes despair.
You can change me if you try,
But often still for long I lie.

What am I?
(Answer: die Gewohnheit / habit)

🤓 Additional Information

Word Formation (Wortbildung):
The word "Gewohnheit" is composed of:

• The stem of the verb "gewöhnen" (to get used to something)
• The suffix "-heit", which is often used to form abstract feminine nouns in German (like Freiheit - freedom, Krankheit - illness, Schönheit - beauty).

Cultural Significance: Habits play a major role in psychology (Verhaltensänderung - behavior change) and sociology (soziale Normen - social norms, Traditionen - traditions).