die  Manier

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/maˈniːɐ/

🧐 What Exactly is a 'Manier'?

Die Manier (feminine) describes several concepts in German:

• Manner/Way: How something is done or happens. Example: Er erledigte die Aufgabe in seiner üblichen Manier. (He completed the task in his usual manner.)
• Style (Art/Literature): A characteristic way of expression or style of an artist, era, or school. Example: Das Gemälde ist in der Manier Rembrandts gehalten. (The painting is done in the manner/style of Rembrandt.)
• Manners/Etiquette (often plural: die Manieren): The way someone behaves in society, especially regarding politeness and decorum. Example: Er hat gute Manieren. (He has good manners.) Sie besitzt keine Manieren. (She has no manners.) ⚠️ Caution: In the singular, "die Manier" can sometimes imply an artificial or affected behaviour ("eine affektierte Manier").

📝 Grammar of 'die Manier' in Detail

Die Manier is a feminine noun. The plural die Manieren is primarily used in the sense of "good manners" or "etiquette".

Singular Declension

Here is the declension of the singular form:

Note on the Plural

The plural form die Manieren is almost exclusively used for "good manners/behaviour". The declension follows the standard pattern for feminine nouns ending in -en in the plural (Nom: die Manieren, Gen: der Manieren, Dat: den Manieren, Acc: die Manieren).

Beispielsätze – Example Sentences

1. Seine Manier zu sprechen, war sehr gewählt. (His manner of speaking was very sophisticated.) - refers to way/style
2. Der Architekt baute das Haus in moderner Manier. (The architect built the house in a modern style/manner.) - refers to style
3. Gute Manieren öffnen Türen. (Good manners open doors.) - refers to etiquette (plural)
4. Diese gekünstelte Manier gefällt mir nicht. (I don't like this affected manner.) - refers to affectation

💡 How to Use 'Manier' Correctly

The usage of die Manier strongly depends on the context:

• Manner/Way: Often interchangeable with Art or Weise. Sometimes sounds a bit more elevated or formal. E.g., "in gewohnter Manier" (in the usual manner), "auf diese Manier" (in this manner).
• Style: Mainly in artistic or architectural contexts. E.g., "in der Manier von [Artist/Era]" (in the style/manner of [Artist/Era]).
• Manners (Plural): Die Manieren is very common when talking about good or bad behaviour. One speaks of "gute Manieren" (good manners), "schlechte Manieren" (bad manners), or "keine Manieren haben" (to have no manners). The singular is rarely used here.
• Affected Behaviour: In the singular, "Manier" can also describe slightly negative, artificial behaviour. Example: "Lass diese Manieren sein!" (Stop these affectations! / Cut the act!)

Compared to Art und Weise, Manier can more specifically refer to an established, characteristic, or sometimes even practiced method.

🧠 Mnemonics for 'die Manier'

Article Mnemonic: Think of manners – having good manners is generally seen as a positive, almost 'sheen-like' quality. 'Sheen' sounds a bit like the German 'die'. So, die Manier(en).

Meaning Mnemonic: A MANager displays his MANner of working and his MANners (etiquette). Manier sounds like 'manner'.

🔄 Synonyms and Antonyms

😂 A Little Joke

Warum hat der Besen so schlechte Manieren?
Weil er immer nur herumfegt und nie "Bitte" oder "Danke" sagt!

Why does the broom have such bad manners?
Because it's always sweeping around and never says "Please" or "Thank you"!

📜 A Poem about 'Manier'

Die Manier, fein und zart,
zeigt sich in besonderer Art.
Ein Lächeln, ein "Bitte", ein "Dankeschön" klein,
so sollten gute Manieren sein.
Ob alt, ob jung, ob groß, ob klein,
mit guter Manier kommt man weit – ungemein!

Manner, fine and tender,
shows itself in a special way.
A smile, a "Please", a small "Thank you",
that's how good manners should be.
Whether old, whether young, whether big, whether small,
with good manners, one goes far – immensely!

❓ Riddle Time

Ich kann eine Art zu handeln sein,
oder eines Künstlers Stil, ganz fein.
Im Plural zeig ich, wie man sich benimmt,
damit das Miteinander stimmt.

Was bin ich?

I can be a way of acting,
or an artist's style, very fine.
In plural, I show how one behaves,
so that togetherness is right.

What am I?

Solution: die Manier / die Manieren (manner/manners)

🌐 More Interesting Facts

Etymology: The German word Manier comes from the French word manière, which also means "manner", "style", or "behaviour". This, in turn, derives from the Latin manuarius, meaning "belonging to the hand", from manus (hand). The original idea was therefore the "way of handling something".