die  Konstruktion

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/kɔnstʁʊkˈt͡si̯oːn/

🏗️ What does "die Konstruktion" mean?

The word die Konstruktion (feminine, plural: die Konstruktionen) has several meanings:

• The process of building or assembling: The act of erecting a building, a machine, or another structure. Example: Die Konstruktion der Brücke dauerte zwei Jahre. (The construction of the bridge took two years.)
• The result of building; a structure or edifice: The finished object itself. Example: Die Dachkonstruktion ist sehr stabil. (The roof construction/structure is very stable.)
• The structure or composition (also abstract): The way something is put together, e.g., a thought, a theory, or a sentence. Example: Die logische Konstruktion seiner Argumentation war fehlerhaft. (The logical construction/structure of his argument was flawed.)
• (Grammar) Sentence structure: The way words are combined to form a sentence. Example: Diese grammatische Konstruktion ist im Deutschen üblich. (This grammatical construction is common in German.)

🚨 Pay attention to the context to understand the intended meaning.

📐 Grammar in Detail: Die Konstruktion

"Konstruktion" is a feminine noun. The article is die. Nouns ending in -tion are almost always feminine in German.

💡 Example Sentences

1. Die Konstruktion des neuen Bürogebäudes beginnt nächste Woche.
   (The construction of the new office building starts next week.)
2. Bewundere die filigrane Konstruktion dieser alten Uhr.
   (Admire the intricate construction/structure of this old clock.)
3. In der Prüfung mussten wir verschiedene Satzkonstruktionen analysieren.
   (In the exam, we had to analyze different sentence constructions.)
4. Seine Erklärung war eine reine Gedankenkonstruktion.
   (His explanation was purely a mental construct / thought construction.)

🛠️ How "Konstruktion" is used

Contexts:

• Technik & Bauwesen (Engineering & Construction): Here, "Konstruktion" often refers to the building process or the finished structure (e.g., Stahlkonstruktion - steel construction, Holzkonstruktion - timber construction, Brückenkonstruktion - bridge construction).
• Maschinenbau (Mechanical Engineering): Describes the design or structure of a machine (e.g., die Konstruktion eines Motors - the design/construction of an engine).
• Sprachwissenschaft/Grammatik (Linguistics/Grammar): Refers to the structure of sentences or phrases (e.g., Passivkonstruktion - passive construction, Genitivkonstruktion - genitive construction).
• Abstrakte Zusammenhänge (Abstract Contexts): Can also describe the structure of theories, arguments, or ideas (e.g., eine theoretische Konstruktion - a theoretical construct, eine soziale Konstruktion - a social construct).

Comparison with similar words:

• Aufbau: Similar, but often more general and less technical than "Konstruktion". Can also refer to organizations or texts. (Structure, setup)
• Struktur: Emphasizes the arrangement of parts and the internal framework. "Konstruktion" often emphasizes the process of assembly or the result more. (Structure)
• Bau: More about the act of building or the building itself, less about the technical aspect of how it's built. (Building, construction site)

🧠 Mnemonics and Memory Aids

Article Mnemonic: Words ending in "-tion" are generally feminine in German, like a celebration or a station. So it's die Konstruktion.

Meaning Mnemonic: Think of the English word "construct". A Konstruktion is something you "construct" – whether it's a building, a machine, or even a sentence structure.

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms for Konstruktion

⚠️ Similar but different words:

• Instruktion (die): instruction, order. Sounds similar but has a different meaning.
• Rekonstruktion (die): reconstruction, replica.

😂 A Little Joke

Fragt der Architekt den Statiker: "Ist diese Konstruktion wirklich sicher?"
Sagt der Statiker: "Absolut! Zumindest theoretisch... in der Praxis müssen wir noch ein paar Schrauben nachziehen."

Translation:
The architect asks the structural engineer: "Is this construction really safe?"
The structural engineer says: "Absolutely! At least theoretically... in practice, we still need to tighten a few screws."

📜 Poem about Konstruktion

Stein auf Stein, Stahlträger schwer,
die Konstruktion wächst immer mehr.
Ein Plan im Kopf, ein kühner Traum,
entsteht ein Werk in Zeit und Raum.

Auch im Satz, klar und bedacht,
wird Wort an Wort zur Pracht.
Die Grammatik, ein Gerüst,
die Sprach-Konstruktion uns bewusst.

Translation:
Stone on stone, steel beams heavy,
the construction grows ever more steady.
A plan in mind, a bold dream's gleam,
a work arises in time and stream.

Also in sentences, clear and thought through,
word by word becomes splendid and new.
Grammar, a framework we trust,
the language construction known to us.

🤔 Little Riddle

Ich kann ein Haus sein, hoch und breit,
auch nur ein Satz in seiner Zeit.
Ein Plan, ein Bau, ein fest Gefüg'.
Mal aus Beton, mal nur ein Trug.

Was bin ich?

Translation:
I can be a house, tall and wide,
also just a sentence in its stride.
A plan, a build, a structure tight.
Sometimes concrete, sometimes just a flight (of fancy/illusion).

What am I?
→ Die Konstruktion (The construction / structure)

🧩 Further Details

Wortherkunft (Word Origin): The word "Konstruktion" comes from the Latin word constructio, meaning "putting together" or "building". It is composed of con- (together) and struere (to build, to pile up).

Wortbestandteile (Word Components): You can break the word down into Kon- (prefix meaning 'together') and Struktion (from the verb 'struieren', meaning to build).