die  Konvention

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/kɔn.vɛnˈt͡si̯oːn/

📜 What does 'die Konvention' mean?

The word die Konvention (feminine) has several related meanings:

• Social agreement/rule: A generally accepted, often unwritten rule of conduct, custom, or habit in a society or group. Example: Es ist eine Konvention, bei einer Begrüßung die Hand zu geben. (It's a convention to shake hands when greeting someone.)
• International treaty/agreement: A formal agreement between states under international law. Example: die Genfer Konventionen (the Geneva Conventions).
• Meeting/Congress: A formal assembly or congress, often of political parties or organizations (especially known as 'convention' in American English, less common in German with this meaning, where *Parteitag* or *Kongress* are more typical).

⚠️ It's important to consider the context to understand the exact meaning.

🧐 Grammar Under the Microscope: Die Konvention

The noun die Konvention is feminine. Here are the declension tables:

📝 Example Sentences

1. Gesellschaftliche Konventionen können sich über die Zeit ändern.
   (Social conventions can change over time.)
2. Viele Staaten haben die Konvention zum Schutz der Menschenrechte unterzeichnet.
   (Many states have signed the convention for the protection of human rights.)
3. Er brach bewusst mit allen künstlerischen Konventionen seiner Zeit.
   (He deliberately broke with all artistic conventions of his time.)
4. Das Einhalten sozialer Konventionen erleichtert das Zusammenleben.
   (Adhering to social conventions makes living together easier.)

💡 How 'die Konvention' is Used

The term die Konvention is often used in formal or intellectual contexts.

• In a social context: Refers to established behaviors and norms. Someone who violates Konventionen is often considered impolite, eccentric, or rebellious. Related terms: Sitte (custom), Brauch (custom, tradition), Gepflogenheit (custom, practice), Etikette (etiquette), Norm (norm).
• In a political/legal context: Denotes international treaties or agreements. Here, the term is very specific and formal. Related terms: Abkommen (agreement), Vertrag (treaty, contract), Pakt (pact), Übereinkommen (agreement).
• In an artistic context: Refers to established stylistic devices, rules, or forms in an art movement. Related terms: Stilregel (style rule), Formprinzip (formal principle), Tradition (tradition).

Distinction: While *Brauch* or *Sitte* sound more traditional and folksy, *Konvention* often has a slightly more formal or even critical undertone (in the sense of 'just a convention'). *Abkommen* or *Vertrag* are more specific than the legal meaning of *Konvention*.

🧠 Mnemonics for 'Konvention'

Article Mnemonic: Think of 'the rule' or 'the agreement' in German – *die Regel*, *die Übereinkunft*. Both are feminine, just like die Konvention.

Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine a large political CONgress (Konvention) where they VENtilate (discuss) new rules and agreements. This helps remember the meaning of agreement/rule.

↔️ Opposites and Similarities

⚠️ Similar but Different Words

• Intervention (die): Intervention. Sounds similar but means something completely different.
• Invention (die): Invention. Also sounds similar but has a different meaning.

😄 A Little Joke

Warum mögen Programmierer keine gesellschaftlichen Konventionen?
Weil sie zu viele undefinierte Variablen und unerwartete Ausnahmen haben! 😉

(Why don't programmers like social conventions?
Because they have too many undefined variables and unexpected exceptions! 😉)

✍️ A Poem about Convention

Die Konvention, ein stiller Pakt,
mal ungeschrieben, mal exakt.
Sie lenkt das Tun, das Miteinander,
ist Richtschnur oft, und manchmal Zander,
der uns im Strom der Zeit erwischt.
Mal Staatsvertrag, mal Sitte frisch,
so lebt sie fort, wird oft geehrt,
und manchmal auch zurecht entehrt.

(The convention, a silent pact,
Sometimes unwritten, sometimes exact.
It guides our actions, togetherness,
Is often a guideline, sometimes a pike-perch,
That catches us in the stream of time.
Sometimes a state treaty, sometimes a fresh custom,
So it lives on, is often honored,
And sometimes rightly dishonored.)

❓ Riddle Time

Ich bin ein Vertrag zwischen Ländern, groß und breit,
oder eine Regel für die Gesellschaft, jederzeit.
Manchmal bin ich nur 'ne Sitte, alt und grau,
man folgt mir meistens, mehr oder weniger genau.
Wer bin ich?

(I am a treaty between countries, large and wide,
Or a rule for society, at any time.
Sometimes I'm just a custom, old and gray,
People mostly follow me, more or less accurately.
What am I?)

Solution: die Konvention (the convention)

🌐 Further Information

Word Origin: The word "Konvention" comes from the Latin word conventio, meaning "assembly", "agreement". It derives from convenire: "to come together".

Compounds: There are several compound words, such as unkonventionell (adjective: unconventional), Konventionsbruch (noun: breach of convention).