die  Nase

A1

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈnaːzə/

👃 What does "die Nase" mean?

Primarily, die Nase is the organ of smell located in the face of humans and animals. It's used for breathing and smelling.

Figuratively, die Nase can also mean:

• A knack or intuition: e.g., "Er hat eine gute Nase für Geschäfte." (He has a good nose for business.)
• The front part of something: e.g., "die Nase eines Flugzeugs" (the nose of an airplane).
• Arrogance or snobbery: e.g., "die Nase hoch tragen" (to carry one's nose high, to be stuck-up).

Since the word only uses the article "die", there's no risk of confusion due to different articles.

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar in Detail: Die Nase

The noun "Nase" is feminine. Its declension is as follows:

Declension Singular

Declension Plural

Example Sentences

1. Meine Nase ist wegen der Erkältung verstopft. (My nose is blocked because of the cold.)
2. Der Hund folgte der Spur mit seiner feinen Nase. (The dog followed the trail with its keen nose.)
3. Sie hat wirklich eine gute Nase für Modetrends. (She really has a good sense for fashion trends.)
4. Die Kinder steckten ihre Nasen neugierig durch den Zaun. (The children stuck their noses curiously through the fence.)

🗣️ How to use "die Nase"?

Die Nase is mostly used literally for the body part. However, there are many idioms (Redewendungen):

• Die Nase voll haben: To be fed up with something. "Ich habe die Nase voll von diesem Lärm!" (I'm fed up with this noise!)
• Jemanden an der Nase herumführen: To lead someone on, to deceive someone. "Er hat uns alle an der Nase herumgeführt." (He led us all on.)
• Die eigene Nase in fremde Angelegenheiten stecken: To stick one's nose into other people's business. "Steck nicht deine Nase in meine Sachen!" (Don't stick your nose into my business!)
• Immer der Nase nach: To go straight ahead. "Gehen Sie einfach immer der Nase nach, dann finden Sie den Bahnhof." (Just go straight ahead, then you'll find the train station.)
• Pro Nase: Per person / per head. "Der Eintritt kostet 10 Euro pro Nase." (The entrance fee is 10 euros per head.)

The context usually makes it clear whether the literal or figurative meaning is intended.

🧠 Mnemonics for Nase

Article Mnemonic

Think of a graceful lady (feminine = die) smelling a rosE with her nosE. Both words end in '-e', a common feminine ending in German, helping you remember die Nase.

Meaning Mnemonic

Your Nase is not just for sneezes; it helps you sense danger (intuition) and sniff out the right path (literal smelling + figurative sense).

↔️ Synonyms and Related Terms

Synonyms (for the organ)

• Geruchsorgan: Olfactory organ (technical term)
• Riechorgan: Organ of smell (technical term)
• Zinken: Colloquial, often humorous or derogatory for a large nose (like 'honker' or 'beak')
• Kolben: Colloquial, similar to Zinken

Synonyms (for intuition)

• Gespür: A feel for something, intuition
• Instinkt: Instinct
• Riecher: A knack, a good sense (literally 'smeller')

Antonyms

There are no direct antonyms for "Nase" itself. Depending on the context or idiom, opposites might be constructed (e.g., the opposite of "die Nase vorn haben" (to be ahead) would be "hinten liegen" (to be behind)).

Similar-sounding but different words

• Naschen: To snack on sweets (sounds similar, but unrelated to nose).

😂 A Little Joke

German: Warum können Nasen nicht 12 Zoll lang sein?
Weil sie dann ein Fuß wären!

English: Why can't noses be 12 inches long?
Because then they'd be a foot! (This is a pun playing on 'Fuß' meaning both 'foot' as a body part and 'foot' as a unit of measurement).

📜 Poem about the Nose

German:
Die Nase sitzt, gar nicht beklommen,
im Gesicht, ganz vorn angekommen.
Sie riecht den Duft, mal süß, mal herb,
hilft atmen uns, bei Freud und Scherb'.
Manch Redensart sie auch belebt,
wenn man die Nase hoch erhebt.
Ob groß, ob klein, ob spitz, ob breit,
sie ist bereit für jede Zeit.

English Translation:
The nose sits, not at all oppressed,
In the face, arrived at the very front.
It smells the scent, sometimes sweet, sometimes tart,
Helps us breathe, in joy and shard (idiom for hardship).
Many an idiom it also enlivens,
When one raises one's nose high.
Whether large, or small, pointed, or wide,
It is ready for every time.

❓ Riddle

German:
Ich sitze mitten im Gesicht,
doch Augen hab ich nicht.
Ich kann dir Düfte bringen,
und helf' beim Luft verschlingen.
Manchmal hab ich genug von Dingen.

Was bin ich?

English Translation:
I sit in the middle of the face,
But I have no eyes.
I can bring you scents,
And help devour air.
Sometimes I've had enough of things (referencing 'die Nase voll haben').

What am I?

Solution: Die Nase (The Nose)

✨ Interesting Facts about "die Nase"

• Etymology: The word "Nase" comes from the Old High German "nasa" and has Indo-European roots with a similar meaning.
• Compounds: There are many compound words with "Nase", e.g.: Nasenspitze (tip of the nose), Nasenloch (nostril), Nasenrücken (bridge of the nose), Nasenbär (coati), Naseweis (know-it-all child, literally 'nose-wise'), Langnase (nosy person, literally 'long-nose').
• Cultural Notes: In some cultures, a particular nose shape is considered an ideal of beauty. Idioms involving the nose are common in many languages.