die
Möglichkeit
🤔 What exactly is 'die Möglichkeit'?
Die Möglichkeit (feminine noun, plural: die Möglichkeiten) generally describes a circumstance or condition that can occur, happen, or be done. It refers to the potential for something to exist or be achievable.
- Meaning 1: Chance, opportunity - often interchangeable with 'Gelegenheit'. Example: Das ist eine gute Möglichkeit, Deutsch zu lernen. (That's a good opportunity to learn German.)
- Meaning 2: Option, alternative. Example: Wir haben mehrere Möglichkeiten zur Auswahl. (We have several options/possibilities to choose from.)
- Meaning 3: Potential, capability. Example: Er hat die Möglichkeit, ein großer Künstler zu werden. (He has the potential to become a great artist.)
There is only the feminine article die for Möglichkeit. There are no common pitfalls regarding the article. ⚠️ However, be careful not to confuse it with 'Wahrscheinlichkeit' (probability), although there can be overlaps.
Article rules for der, die, and das
-keit → always feminine.
🧐 Grammar in Detail: Die Möglichkeit
The noun 'Möglichkeit' is feminine. The article is always die.
Declension
Singular
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Möglichkeit |
| Genitive | der | Möglichkeit |
| Dative | der | Möglichkeit |
| Accusative | die | Möglichkeit |
Plural
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Möglichkeiten |
| Genitive | der | Möglichkeiten |
| Dative | den | Möglichkeiten |
| Accusative | die | Möglichkeiten |
📝 Example Sentences
- Ich sehe keine andere Möglichkeit.
(I see no other possibility.) - Es besteht die Möglichkeit, dass es morgen regnet.
(There is a possibility that it will rain tomorrow.) - Nutze die Möglichkeit, deine Fähigkeiten zu verbessern!
(Use the opportunity to improve your skills!) - Wir diskutierten verschiedene Möglichkeiten, das Problem zu lösen.
(We discussed various options/possibilities for solving the problem.)
💡 How to Use 'Möglichkeit'?
The word Möglichkeit is used very frequently to express potential, options, or chances.
- In everyday life: When talking about plans, decisions, or future events. "Hast du am Wochenende eine Möglichkeit, dich zu treffen?" (Here more in the sense of 'time/opportunity' - 'Do you have a chance/the possibility to meet on the weekend?')
- At work: To discuss options or solutions. "Wir müssen alle Möglichkeiten prüfen." (We must examine all possibilities.)
- In philosophy/theory: To describe potential states or events. "Die Möglichkeit des freien Willens ist ein zentrales Thema." (The possibility of free will is a central topic.)
Distinction from 'Chance' and 'Gelegenheit':
- Möglichkeit: Neutral term for something that can be or happen. (possibility)
- Gelegenheit: A favorable possibility, often time-limited. Emphasizes the aspect of benefit. (opportunity)
- Chance: Similar to Gelegenheit, often associated with an element of luck or risk. Can also emphasize probability. (chance)
Sometimes the words are interchangeable, but 'Möglichkeit' is the most general term.
🧠 Mnemonics for 'die Möglichkeit'
For the article (die): Nouns ending in -keit (like Freundlichkeit, Heiterkeit, Sauberkeit) are almost always feminine in German. Think: Die Möglichkeit sounds like 'kite' - imagine a feminine kite exploring all possibilities in the sky!
For the meaning: The word comes from möglich (possible). The ending -keit turns it into a noun. So, die Möglichkeit is simply the noun form of 'being possible' – the thing that is possible, the possibility itself.
🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms (Similar Meaning)
- Gelegenheit: (Opportunity) Emphasizes a favorable time or circumstance.
- Chance: (Chance) Often emphasizes luck or the probability of success.
- Option: (Option) A choice among several possibilities.
- Alternative: (Alternative) Another choice or possibility.
- Potenzial: (Potential) Existing but perhaps not yet utilized capability or prospect.
- Aussicht: (Prospect) View into the future, expectation of a possibility.
Antonyms (Opposite Meaning)
- Unmöglichkeit: (Impossibility) The absolute opposite, something cannot be or happen.
- Notwendigkeit: (Necessity) Something that must be, no alternative.
- Zwangsläufigkeit: (Inevitability) Something that occurs unavoidably.
Be careful with Wahrscheinlichkeit: This describes how likely a possibility is (probability), but it's not the same as the possibility itself.
😂 A Little Joke
Fragt der Lehrer: "Was ist die Mehrzahl von Möglichkeit?"
Schüler: "Ausreden!"
(Teacher asks: "What is the plural of possibility?"
Student: "Excuses!")
✍️ A Short Poem
Ein Weg sich teilt, ein Tor steht offen,
man kann nur hoffen.
Wohin man geht, was daraus wird,
ist oft verwirrt.
Doch jede Tür, ob groß, ob klein,
kann eine Möglichkeit sein.
Ein Schritt nach vorn, ins Ungewisse,
vertreibt die Tristesse.
(A path divides, a gate stands open,
one can only hope.
Where one goes, what comes of it,
is often confused.
But every door, whether big or small,
can be a possibility.
A step forward, into the unknown,
banishes the gloom.)
🧩 Riddle
Ich bin nicht sicher, aber denkbar.
Ich biete Wahl, bin unsichtbar.
Manchmal ergreift man mich beim Schopf,
manchmal existier' ich nur im Kopf.
Was bin ich?
(I am not certain, but conceivable.
I offer choice, am invisible.
Sometimes I'm seized by the forelock [taken advantage of],
sometimes I exist only in the head.
What am I?)
... Die Möglichkeit (The possibility)
💡 Other Information
Word Composition:
The word 'Möglichkeit' is a derived noun. It consists of:
- The adjective möglich (possible)
- The suffix -keit, which forms feminine nouns from adjectives, describing a quality or state (similar to English -ness or -ity).
Related Words:
- ermöglichen: to make possible, to enable
- bestmöglich: best possible
- möglicherweise: possibly, maybe (adverb)
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Möglichkeit?
The word 'Möglichkeit' is always feminine. The correct article is exclusively die: die Möglichkeit (singular), die Möglichkeiten (plural).