die  Nahrung

A2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈnaːʁʊŋ/

🍲 What does "die Nahrung" mean?

Die Nahrung (noun, feminine) generally refers to everything that living beings (humans, animals, plants) consume to live, grow, and gain energy. It's an umbrella term for food and nutrients.

• Main meaning: The entirety of substances used for nutrition; food, sustenance, feed (for animals).
• Figurative meaning: Something that nourishes mentally or spiritually (e.g., geistige Nahrung - food for thought/mind).

⚠️ Attention: Nahrung is mostly used in the singular as it often serves as a collective noun. The plural die Nahrungen is rare and usually refers to different types of food or feed.

Article rules for der, die, and das

📊 Grammar of "die Nahrung" in Detail

Nahrung is a feminine noun. The article is die.

💡 Example Sentences

1. Gesunde Nahrung ist wichtig für das Wohlbefinden. (Healthy food/nourishment is important for well-being.)
2. Pflanzen nehmen ihre Nahrung aus dem Boden auf. (Plants absorb their nourishment from the soil.)
3. Der Körper benötigt ausreichend Nahrung, um zu funktionieren. (The body needs sufficient nourishment to function.)
4. Lesen ist für ihn geistige Nahrung. (For him, reading is food for the mind.)
5. Der Biologe untersuchte verschiedene Nahrungen der Tiefseefische. (The biologist studied various diets/foods of deep-sea fish. - Rare plural)

🤔 When to use "die Nahrung"?

Nahrung is a more general and sometimes slightly more formal or scientific term than Essen.

• General: When talking about the entirety of what living beings need to survive (e.g., Grundbedürfnis nach Nahrung - basic need for nourishment).
• Biology/Medicine: In the context of nutrition, nutrients, digestion (e.g., Nahrungsaufnahme - food intake, Nahrungskette - food chain).
• Animal world: Often used to describe animal feed (e.g., Die Vögel suchen nach Nahrung - The birds are searching for food).
• Figurative: For mental or spiritual needs (e.g., Kunst als Nahrung für die Seele - Art as nourishment for the soul).

Difference to "Essen":

• Essen (das): Usually refers more specifically to prepared meals or food for humans. It's the more common, everyday term. (e.g., Das Essen ist fertig! - Dinner/Lunch is ready!)
• Nahrung (die): More comprehensive, abstract, can also include feed for animals or nutrients for plants.

🧠 Memory Aids for "die Nahrung"

1. Article Mnemonic: Think of "die Ernährung" (nutrition). German words ending in "-ung" are almost always feminine (die). Nahrung fits this pattern! Or imagine: DIE Küche (the kitchen) is where you find die Nahrung (both have the ü-sound vowel, although spelled differently). Die kitchen for die nourishment.

2. Meaning Mnemonic: Nahrung comes from the verb "nähren" (to nourish). What nourishes us keeps us alive. Remember that everything living needs something to nourish it – that's Nahrung. It sounds a bit like "nourishing".

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms for Nahrung

⚠️ Similar Words:

• die Nahrungsmittelindustrie: The food industry.
• die Nahrungsaufnahme: Food intake, ingestion.

😄 A Little Joke

Fragt der Kellner: "Hatten Sie die Schnecken als Vorspeise?"
Gast: "Nein, warum? Laufen die hier frei herum und suchen auch nach Nahrung?"

Translation: The waiter asks: "Did you have the snails as an appetizer?"
Guest: "No, why? Do they roam freely here also looking for food?"

📜 Poem about Nahrung

Die Nahrung, Kraft aus Erd' und Licht,
hält Leib und Seele im Gewicht.
Ob Korn, ob Frucht, ob Wasser klar,
sie nährt uns alle, Jahr für Jahr.
Ein Grundbedürfnis, tief und echt,
für jedes Wesen grad und recht.

Translation:
Nourishment, strength from earth and light,
keeps body and soul in balance bright.
Whether grain, or fruit, or water clear,
it feeds us all, year after year.
A basic need, profound and true,
for every creature, right and due.

❓ Little Riddle

Ich bin für alle da, ob groß, ob klein,
Tier, Pflanze, Mensch – ich lass sie sein.
Ich gebe Kraft und Energie,
ohne mich gäb's Leben nie.

Was bin ich?

Lösung: die Nahrung

Translation:
I am there for all, whether big or small,
Animal, plant, human – I let them be tall.
I give strength and energy,
Without me, life would never be.

What am I?

Solution: die Nahrung (nourishment/food)

🧩 Other Information about Nahrung

• Etymology: The word Nahrung derives from the Old High German verb "nerian", meaning "to nourish", "to keep alive", or "to save". It is closely related to the modern verb "nähren".
• Compounds: Nahrung is part of many compound words, e.g.: Nahrungskette (food chain), Nahrungsmittel (foodstuff), Nahrungsaufnahme (food intake), Nahrungsquelle (food source), Barnahrung (baby food), Tiernahrung (animal feed), Pflanzennahrung (plant food/nutrients), Mangelernährung (malnutrition).
• Context Dependency: The exact meaning can vary depending on the context (biological, everyday, figurative).