die  Immunität

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ɪmuːniˈtɛːt/

🛡️ What does Immunität mean?

Die Immunität is a feminine noun with two primary meanings:

• Medical/Biological: The body's state of being resistant (immun) to specific pathogens or toxins. This can be innate or acquired (e.g., through vaccination or recovery from illness). It's the biological immunity.
• Legal/Political: The special protection granted to certain individuals (e.g., diplomats, members of parliament) from prosecution or other legal actions. This parlamentarische Immunität (parliamentary immunity) or diplomatische Immunität (diplomatic immunity) serves to ensure their ability to function without interference.

It's a noun often used in the singular, but it does have a plural form (die Immunitäten), mostly used in the legal context.

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar in Detail: Die Immunität

The word "Immunität" is a feminine noun. The article is die.

Example Sentences:

1. Nach der Impfung entwickelte sie eine starke Immunität gegen das Virus.
   (After the vaccination, she developed strong immunity against the virus.)
2. Der Abgeordnete genießt politische Immunität und kann nicht ohne Weiteres belangt werden.
   (The member of parliament enjoys political immunity and cannot easily be prosecuted.)
3. Die Frage der Immunität von Staatsoberhäuptern ist völkerrechtlich komplex.
   (The question of the immunity of heads of state is complex under international law.)

💡 How is Immunität used?

The use of die Immunität depends heavily on the context:

• In the medical field: Here, one speaks of körpereigene Immunität (innate immunity), Herdenimmunität (herd immunity), Kreuzimmunität (cross-immunity), or Immunität nach einer Impfung (immunity after vaccination). It describes the biological protective mechanism.
• In the legal/political field: This refers to protection from prosecution or legal measures. One speaks of parlamentarische Immunität (parliamentary immunity), diplomatische Immunität (diplomatic immunity), or Immunität von Zeugen (witness immunity).

Confusion is rare as the context usually makes the meaning clear. Similar words like Resistenz (resistance, often used for bacteria against antibiotics) or Schutz (protection) are more general.

🧠 Mnemonics and Memory Aids

Article Mnemonic: Words ending in "-tät" in German are almost always feminine (die Qualität, die Realität, die Universität) – and so is die Immunität.

Meaning Mnemonic: Think of "immune" as in "immune to stress" (protected biologically) or a diplomat with an "immune passport" (protected legally) – both relate to Immunität.

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms for Immunität

⚠️ Be careful with Resistenz: This is often used in the context of microorganisms (e.g., antibiotic resistance), while Immunität usually refers to the macroorganism (human, animal).

😄 A Little Joke

Warum haben Viren keinen Pass?
Weil sie hoffen, überall ohne diplomatische Immunität durchzukommen!

(Why don't viruses have passports? Because they hope to get through everywhere without diplomatic immunity!)

📜 A Little Poem

Die Zelle kämpft, der Körper wacht,
hat Immunität ihm gebracht.
Ob Keim, ob Gift, er steht bereit,
geschützt für lange, lange Zeit.

Der Abgeordnete im Saal,
genießt sie auch, legal, normal.
Vor Strafverfolgung sicher, frei,
so ist's Gesetz, und bleibt dabei.

(The cell fights, the body watches,
has brought immunity to it.
Whether germ or toxin, it stands ready,
protected for a long, long time.

The MP in the chamber,
enjoys it too, legally, normally.
Safe from prosecution, free,
that's the law, and so it stays.)

❓ Little Riddle

Ich schütze dich vor Krankheit klein,
und lass Politiker sicher sein.
Mal bin ich angeboren, mal erworben,
mal hab' ich Diplomaten Sorgen verdorben.

Was bin ich?

(I protect you from minor illness,
and let politicians be safe.
Sometimes I'm innate, sometimes acquired,
sometimes I've spoiled diplomats' worries.

What am I?)
Solution: die Immunität (immunity)

🌐 More Insights

Word Origin: The word "Immunität" comes from the Latin immunitas, which originally meant "freedom from public burdens or duties". The medical meaning developed later.

Compounds: Common compounds include Herdenimmunität (herd immunity), Impfimmunität (vaccine immunity), Grundimmunität (basic immunity) (medical), and Abgeordnetenimmunität (parliamentary immunity), Staatsimmunität (state immunity) (legal).