die
Mündung
🌊 What exactly is a Mündung?
The German word die Mündung is a feminine noun and has two main meanings:
1. Geography (Flussmündung - river mouth):
- The place where a river or stream flows into another body of water (like a sea, lake, or larger river).
- Example: Die Mündung der Elbe in die Nordsee. (The mouth of the Elbe into the North Sea.)
2. Technology/Weapons (Rohrmündung - muzzle):
- The front opening of a tube, especially the barrel of a firearm from which the projectile exits.
- Example: Er zielte mit der Mündung des Gewehrs. (He aimed with the muzzle of the rifle.)
⚠️ Pay attention to the context to understand the correct meaning.
Article rules for der, die, and das
-ung → always feminine.
There are many -ung words, we won't list them all. There are only a few exceptions.
🧐 Grammar: The Declension of Mündung
Die Mündung is a feminine noun. The plural is die Mündungen.
Singular
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Subject) | die | Mündung |
| Genitive (Possessive) | der | Mündung |
| Dative (Indirect Object) | der | Mündung |
| Accusative (Direct Object) | die | Mündung |
Plural
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Mündungen |
| Genitive | der | Mündungen |
| Dative | den | Mündungen |
| Accusative | die | Mündungen |
💡 Example Sentences
- Die Mündung des Rheins ist ein wichtiges Naturschutzgebiet. (The mouth of the Rhine is an important nature reserve.) (River mouth)
- Schau nicht direkt in die Mündung der Waffe! (Don't look directly into the muzzle of the weapon!) (Muzzle)
- Viele große Städte liegen an den Mündungen bedeutender Flüsse. (Many large cities are located at the mouths of major rivers.) (Plural, river mouths)
🧭 How to use 'die Mündung'?
The usage of die Mündung strongly depends on the context:
- Geographical Context: Here, 'Mündung' almost always refers to the end of a river. You talk about the Rheinmündung (Rhine mouth), Elbmündung (Elbe mouth), or generally the Mündung eines Flusses ins Meer (mouth of a river into the sea). It's often used in connection with geographical descriptions, shipping, or ecology.
- Technical/Military Context: Here, 'Mündung' means the opening of a barrel or pipe. Frequently used for weapons (Gewehr-, Pistolenmündung - rifle muzzle, pistol muzzle) or sometimes other pipes (e.g., Kanalauslass - canal outlet, though more specific terms are often preferred here).
Confusion is rare because the context is usually clear. You wouldn't say: "Die Mündung des Gewehrs fließt ins Meer." (The muzzle of the rifle flows into the sea.) 😉
🧠 Mnemonics for Mündung
For the article 'die': Feminine nouns often end in -ung (like Rettung (rescue), Zeitung (newspaper), Heizung (heating)). Think: The opening at the end of the river or barrel is die Mündung. The '-ung' ending is a strong indicator for 'die'.
For the meanings: Imagine the river opening its Mund (mouth) (Mündung) to 'speak' into the sea. For a weapon, it's the opening, the 'Mund' (mouth), from which the bullet comes out.
🔁 Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms (Similar meaning)
Antonyms (Opposite meaning)
- For river mouth: Quelle (source - the origin of the river)
- For muzzle: Verschluss (breech - for weapons: the rear end of the barrel system), Boden (bottom/base of a container)
Similar but different words
- Mund: The human or animal organ for eating and speaking. Mündung derives from this (meaning opening).
- Einmündung: Can be synonymous with Flussmündung, but is often used more specifically for the meeting of streets or smaller streams into larger ones.
😂 A Little Joke
Warum sind Flüsse so gute Zuhörer?
Weil sie immer eine offene Mündung haben!
---
Why are rivers such good listeners?
Because they always have an open mouth (Mündung)!
📜 Poem about the Mündung
Der Fluss, er reist durch Land und Zeit,
Bis er das weite Meer erreicht.
Wo süßes Wasser salzig küsst,
Die Mündung ist, die niemand misst
An Wert, an Leben, bunt und froh,
Ein Tor zur Welt, irgendwo.
---
The river travels through land and time,
Until it reaches the vast sea.
Where sweet water kisses salty brine,
The Mündung (mouth) is, which none can tally
In value, in life, colourful and bright,
A gate to the world, somewhere in sight.
❓ Riddle Time
Ich bin ein Ende und ein Tor zugleich,
Mal führe ich ins Wasserreich,
Mal speie ich Feuer mit Gebraus.
Was bin ich wohl? Finde es heraus!
Lösung: die Mündung
---
I am an end and a gate at the same time,
Sometimes I lead into the watery realm,
Sometimes I spit fire with a roar.
What am I? Figure it out!
Solution: die Mündung (mouth/muzzle)
🧩 Other Information
Word Formation:
The word Mündung is composed of:
- The stem of the word Mund (referring to an opening or mouth).
- The suffix -ung, which is often used to form feminine nouns and describes a process or result.
Etymology:
The meaning evolved from 'Mund' (mouth) as an opening to the specific designation for the end of a river or pipe.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Mündung?
The word "Mündung" always uses the article die. It is a feminine noun: die Mündung, die Mündungen (plural). It refers to either the end of a river (river mouth) or the front opening of a tube (e.g., the muzzle of a weapon).