die
Küstenwache
🌊 What does "die Küstenwache" mean?
Die Küstenwache (feminine noun) refers to a state organization responsible for the safety and surveillance of coastal waters. Its tasks typically include:
- Sea rescue (Seenotrettung)
- Monitoring ship traffic (Überwachung des Schiffsverkehrs)
- Combating marine pollution (Bekämpfung von Umweltverschmutzung auf See)
- Customs and border protection duties (Zoll- und Grenzschutzaufgaben)
- Fisheries enforcement (Fischereiaufsicht)
It's a fixed term with the article "die" because the base word "die Wache" (the guard, the watch) is feminine.
🚨 Attention: Do not confuse it with the Navy (die Marine), which primarily has military tasks, although there can be overlaps.
Article rules for der, die, and das
-e/-ee → almost always feminine.
There are many -e nouns, many of which are feminine, but there are also some important exceptions.
🧐 Grammar in Detail: Die Küstenwache
The noun "Küstenwache" is feminine. The article is always "die".
Declension (Deklination)
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Subject) | die | Küstenwache |
| Genitive (Possessive) | der | Küstenwache |
| Dative (Indirect Object) | der | Küstenwache |
| Accusative (Direct Object) | die | Küstenwache |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Küstenwachen |
| Genitive | der | Küstenwachen |
| Dative | den | Küstenwachen |
| Accusative | die | Küstenwachen |
Example Sentences (Beispielsätze)
- Die Küstenwache patrouilliert regelmäßig entlang der Nordseeküste.
(The coast guard regularly patrols along the North Sea coast.) - Ein Schiff der Küstenwache eilte zur Rettung der Segler.
(A ship of the coast guard rushed to rescue the sailors.) - Wir meldeten den Ölteppich der Küstenwache.
(We reported the oil slick to the coast guard.) - Man sah die Küstenwache am Horizont.
(One saw the coast guard on the horizon.) - Die Aufgaben der verschiedenen Küstenwachen Europas ähneln sich oft.
(The tasks of the various coast guards in Europe are often similar.)
🚢 When to use "die Küstenwache"?
The term die Küstenwache is used when referring to the authority or the entirety of personnel and vessels responsible for maritime safety and order in the coastal area.
- Context: Official matters, news reports, reports on maritime accidents, environmental protection, shipping, border control.
- Usage: One speaks of "der Küstenwache" (dative/genitive) as an institution or a ship/boat "der Küstenwache". The plural "die Küstenwachen" is used less frequently, mostly when talking about the organizations of different countries.
- Differentiation:
- Marine (Navy): Primarily military defense at sea.
- Wasserschutzpolizei (Water Police): Often active on inland waterways and in ports, police duties.
- DGzRS (German Maritime Search and Rescue Service): An independent, donation-funded organization for sea rescue in Germany, works closely with the Küstenwache.
💡 Mnemonics for "die Küstenwache"
Article Mnemonic: Think of "die Wache" (the guard/watch). A guard post or the act of watching is often conceptually singular and feminine in German compound nouns ending in -e. So: die Küstenwache.
Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine a guard watching over the coast (Küste). They perform a watch (Wache) over the coast (Küste) – die Küstenwache!
🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms (similar meaning):
- Grenzschutz See (lit. Border Protection Sea; part of the Federal Police in Germany, performs tasks)
- Wasserschutzpolizei (Water Police; partial overlap in tasks, especially in ports)
- Seepolizei (Sea Police; general term)
- Seenotrettungsdienst (Sea Rescue Service; specific to rescue, often part of the tasks)
Note: In Germany, the functions of a coast guard are distributed among several federal agencies (Federal Police, Customs, Waterways and Shipping Administration).
Antonyms (opposites):
A direct antonym does not exist. However, one could name organizations with opposite goals or areas (highly context-dependent):
- Landstreitkräfte (Land Forces; operate on land, not the coast)
- Piraterie (Piracy; illegal activities combated by the coast guard)
Similar, potentially misleading words:
- Wachturm (Watchtower; A tower for observation, not personnel/organization)
- Nachtwache (Night watch; A guard during the night, different context)
😄 A Little Joke
Fragt der Kapitän den neuen Matrosen der Küstenwache: "Können Sie schwimmen?"
Antwortet der Matrose: "Nein, aber ich kann um Hilfe schreien – in drei verschiedenen Sprachen!" 😉
(The captain asks the new coast guard sailor: "Can you swim?"
The sailor replies: "No, but I can yell for help – in three different languages!") 😉
📜 Poem about the Coast Guard
Wo Wind und Wellen rau sich zeigen,
Am Horizont die Schiffe schweigen,
Da fährt sie aus, bei Tag und Nacht,
Die Küstenwache, hält stets Wacht.
Sie schützt das Meer, den Strand, das Land,
Mit starker Crew und fester Hand.
Ob Sturm, ob Not, sie ist bereit,
Für Sicherheit zu jeder Zeit.
(Where wind and waves show rough and gray,
On the horizon, ships hold sway,
It sails out, by day and night,
The Coast Guard, always keeping watch right.
It protects the sea, the beach, the land,
With a strong crew and a firm hand.
Whether storm or need, it is prepared,
For safety anytime, anywhere shared.)
❓ Riddle Time
Ich trage Uniform, doch bin nicht nur Soldat,
Ich fahre auf dem Meer, doch nicht zur Kaperfahrt.
Ich helfe Schiffen in der Not,
Und schütze vor Gefahr und Tod.
Ich wache an des Landes Rand,
Wie werd' ich wohl genannt?
(I wear a uniform, but am not just a soldier,
I travel on the sea, but not for pirate plunder.
I help ships in distress,
And protect from danger and death's caress.
I watch at the country's edge, you understand,
What am I called throughout the land?)
Lösung/Solution: Die Küstenwache (The Coast Guard)
🧩 Other Information about die Küstenwache
Word Composition (Wortzusammensetzung):
The word "Küstenwache" is a compound noun, composed of:
- Die Küste: The coast; the strip of land by the sea or a large lake.
- Die Wache: The guard, the watch; a person or group assigned to guard or supervise; or the act of watching/guarding.
Together, it means an organization that watches over the coast.
International Equivalents:
Many countries have their own coast guard, such as the United States Coast Guard (USCG) or the British Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). In Germany, the tasks are shared between different federal agencies.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Küstenwache?
The correct article for Küstenwache is always die. It is a feminine noun: die Küstenwache (nominative/accusative), der Küstenwache (genitive/dative).