die
Kollegin
🧐 What exactly does "die Kollegin" mean?
Die Kollegin (noun, feminine) refers to a female person who works in the same profession, company, authority, or institution as another person. It is the *female equivalent* of "der Kollege" (male colleague).
Essentially, a Kollegin is someone you *work with professionally* or who holds a *similar professional status*.
🚨 Important: The word is used *specifically for women*. For men, you use "der Kollege".
Article rules for der, die, and das
Women → almost always feminine.
Caution: Most professions also have their feminine forms (e.g. die Polizistin). Some words can also have two forms: der/die Deutsche, der/die Kranke.
-in → mostly feminine.
All persons and professions ending in -in are feminine. Other -in nouns can be der/die/das.
📊 Grammar of "die Kollegin" in Detail
"Kollegin" is a *feminine noun* and therefore takes the article "die". It follows the *weak declension* pattern for feminine nouns.
Declension of die Kollegin
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Kollegin |
| Genitive | der | Kollegin |
| Dative | der | Kollegin |
| Accusative | die | Kollegin |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Kolleginnen |
| Genitive | der | Kolleginnen |
| Dative | den | Kolleginnen |
| Accusative | die | Kolleginnen |
Example Sentences
- Nominative: Die Kollegin aus der Marketingabteilung ist heute krank. (The colleague from the marketing department is sick today.)
- Genitive: Das Büro der Kollegin befindet sich im dritten Stock. (The colleague's office is on the third floor.)
- Dative: Ich habe der Kollegin die Unterlagen gegeben. (I gave the documents to the colleague.)
- Accusative: Hast du die neue Kollegin schon kennengelernt? (Have you met the new colleague yet?)
- Plural: Die Kolleginnen treffen sich nach der Arbeit. (The colleagues are meeting after work.)
🗣️ How to use "Kollegin" correctly?
The term "Kollegin" is primarily used in a professional context.
- Direct Address: You can address a colleague directly (e.g., "Hallo Frau Müller, könnten Sie mir helfen?"), but when talking *about* her, you often use "meine Kollegin Frau Müller" (*my colleague Ms. Müller*) or simply "meine Kollegin" (*my colleague*).
- Formal vs. Informal: "Kollegin" is a rather *neutral to formal* term. In casual conversation, some might say "Arbeitskollegin" (*work colleague*), although "Kollegin" is sufficient.
- Distinction: It is clearly different from "Freundin" (*female friend*, private relationship) or "Vorgesetzte" (*female superior*, hierarchically higher). While a female boss can also be a Kollegin in a broader sense (since she works in the same company), the term usually emphasizes *equal rank* or belonging to the same work group/professional field.
- Gender-inclusive Language: In the context of *gender-inclusive language* (gendergerechte Sprache), there's often an effort to use neutral terms like "Kollegium" (for the *entire body of colleagues*) or formulations like "Kolleginnen und Kollegen" (*female and male colleagues*) to include all genders. However, "Kollegin" remains the standard term for a *single female individual*.
🧠 Mnemonics for "die Kollegin"
Article Mnemonic: *Feminine job titles* in German often end in "-in" (Lehrerin - *female teacher*, Ärztin - *female doctor*, Kollegin) and are therefore almost always "die". Remember: Die nice Kollegin helps me (with the 'i' sound connection).
Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine your *colleague* Lena. She is *in* the team, working *in* the office with you. "Kollege" + "in" = female colleague. She's an *insider* in your professional circle.
🔄 Synonyms & Contrasts
Synonyms (similar meaning):
- Mitarbeiterin: *Female employee/co-worker*. Emphasizes belonging to the same company/team more strongly.
- Amtskollegin/Berufskollegin: *Female colleague in the same office/profession*. Emphasizes belonging to the same position or profession, often across company boundaries.
- Fachkollegin: *Female colleague in the same field/specialty*.
- (Colloquial) Arbeitskollegin: *Work colleague* (literally). Redundant, but commonly used.
Antonyms & Contrasts (opposite or different meaning):
- Kollege: *Male colleague*.
- Vorgesetzte(r): *Superior* (female/male). Person in a higher hierarchical position.
- Untergebene(r): *Subordinate* (female/male). Person in a lower hierarchical position.
- Kundin: *Female customer/client*.
- Freundin: *Female friend*. Person in a private, friendly relationship.
⚠️ Caution: Not every woman at the workplace is automatically a "Kollegin" in the narrow sense (e.g., the *Chefin* - female boss - is the *Vorgesetzte*; the *Praktikantin* - female intern - often has a different status).
😄 A little joke to lighten the mood
Der Chef fragt seine neue Mitarbeiterin: "Haben Sie Hobbys?"
Sie: "Ja, ich sammle Witze über Chefs."
Chef (etwas nervös): "Ah... und haben Sie schon viele?"
Sie: "Ja, schon drei volle Ordner! Und meine Lieblingskollegin hilft mir dabei kräftig mit!"
Translation:
The boss asks his new employee: "Do you have any hobbies?"
She: "Yes, I collect jokes about bosses."
Boss (a bit nervously): "Ah... and do you have many already?"
She: "Yes, three full binders! And my favorite colleague (Kollegin) helps me a lot with it!"
✍️ A poem about the Kollegin
Die Kollegin, klug und nett,
Sitzt am Schreibtisch, vis-à-vis im Duett.
Mit Kaffee startet sie den Tag,
Was immer kommt, sie ist nicht zag.
Teilt Wissen, Hilfe, auch mal Schokolade,
Eine Stütze in der Arbeitskaskade.
Ob Meeting, Projekt, ob kleiner Plausch,
Mit ihr gelingt der Ideentausch.
Translation:
The colleague, smart and kind,
Sits at her desk, face-to-face, aligned.
With coffee, she starts the day,
Whatever comes, she's not afraid to play.
Shares knowledge, help, sometimes chocolate sweet,
A pillar in the work-flow's street.
Be it meeting, project, or a little chat,
With her, exchanging ideas is where it's at.
🕵️♀️ Who or what am I? A riddle
Ich teile das Büro, vielleicht den Flur,
bin weiblich, das verrät meine Natur.
Im Job sind wir verbunden, tagaus, tagein,
mein männliches Pendant lässt man "Kollege" sein.
Wer bin ich?
Translation:
I share the office, maybe the hall,
I'm female, my nature tells all.
In work, we're connected, day out, day in,
my male counterpart is known as "Kollege" then.
Who am I?
Answer: die Kollegin
💡 More Interesting Facts
Word Formation: The word "Kollegin" is derived from the *masculine noun* "Kollege" by adding the *feminine suffix* "-in".
Origin: The word "Kollege" (and thus "Kollegin") comes from the *Latin word* collēga, meaning *"colleague in office"* or *"fellow official"*. It is composed of con- (*together*) and legare (*to delegate, commission*) or legere (*to choose*).
Cultural Aspects: The relationship with *Kolleginnen* and *Kollegen* is an important part of *German work culture*. A good *work atmosphere* (Arbeitsklima) often depends on respectful and cooperative interaction among colleagues.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Kollegin?
The word "Kollegin" is a feminine noun and therefore always takes the article die (die Kollegin, die Kolleginnen).