die  Natürlichkeit

C1

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈnætʏʁlɪçkaɪ̯t/

🍃 What does "die Natürlichkeit" mean?

Die Natürlichkeit (noun, feminine) describes the state or quality of being natural. It relates to several aspects:

• Echtheit und Ungezwungenheit (Genuineness and Easiness): The absence of artificiality or affectation in a person's behaviour or appearance. Example: Die Natürlichkeit ihres Lächelns war entwaffnend. (The naturalness of her smile was disarming.)
• Ursprünglichkeit (Originality/Pristineness): The state of something being unchanged, untouched, or not artificially made, often referring to nature or landscapes. Example: Die Natürlichkeit des Waldes zog viele Wanderer an. (The naturalness of the forest attracted many hikers.)
• Selbstverständlichkeit (Matter-of-factness/Effortlessness): The way something happens without effort or constraint. Example: Er erledigte die Aufgabe mit beeindruckender Natürlichkeit. (He completed the task with impressive naturalness.)

The word is derived from the adjective natürlich (natural) and is turned into a noun signifying a quality or state using the suffix -keit.

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar in Detail: Die Natürlichkeit

Die Natürlichkeit is a feminine noun. It is mostly used in the singular because it describes an abstract quality. A plural form is very rare and conceivable only in specific contexts (e.g., different kinds of naturalness), but grammatically possible.

Declension Table

⚠️ The plural (die Natürlichkeiten) is uncommon.

📝 Example Sentences

1. Die Jury schätzte die Natürlichkeit der Kandidatin. (The jury appreciated the candidate's naturalness.)
2. Wir bewunderten die unberührte Natürlichkeit der Landschaft. (We admired the untouched naturalness of the landscape.)
3. Ihm fehlt es manchmal an Natürlichkeit im Umgang mit Fremden. (He sometimes lacks naturalness when dealing with strangers.)

💬 How to use Natürlichkeit?

Die Natürlichkeit is used in various contexts to express genuineness and unspoiledness:

• Persönlichkeit & Verhalten (Personality & Behaviour): Describes a person who appears authentic, unaffected, and not artificial. (Ihre angenehme Natürlichkeit machte sie beliebt. - Her pleasant naturalness made her popular.)
• Natur & Umwelt (Nature & Environment): Refers to the original state of landscapes, plants, or animals, largely untouched by humans. (Die Natürlichkeit des Nationalparks soll bewahrt werden. - The naturalness of the national park should be preserved.)
• Kunst & Design (Art & Design): Can refer to the use of natural materials or an aesthetic that appears organic and not artificial. (Das Design setzt auf die Natürlichkeit von Holz und Stein. - The design relies on the naturalness of wood and stone.)
• Produkte (Products): Emphasises the use of natural ingredients or an authentic taste experience. (Die Werbung betont die Natürlichkeit der Zutaten. - The advertising emphasizes the naturalness of the ingredients.)

Distinction: Natürlichkeit contrasts with Künstlichkeit (artificiality), Gekünsteltheit (affectedness, artificiality in behaviour), or Affektiertheit (affectation).

🧠 Mnemonics and Memory Aids

Here are a few ideas to help remember die Natürlichkeit:

Article Mnemonic: The suffix -keit almost always makes nouns feminine (die). Think of: die Schönheit (beauty), die Freiheit (freedom), die Sauberkeit (cleanliness)... and also die Natürlichkeit. Imagine Mother Nature (die Mutter Natur) – feminine and full of naturalness.

Meaning Mnemonic: Natürlich (natural) + keit = The quality (-keit) of being natürlich (natural). Simple as that!

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

⚠️ Be careful with Natur: While Natürlichkeit is a quality, die Natur refers to the physical world (plants, animals, landscapes).

😂 A Little Joke

Warum hat der Baum aufgehört, Yoga zu machen?
Er hatte Angst, seine Natürlichkeit zu verlieren und zu verkrampft zu werden!

English: Why did the tree stop doing yoga?
It was afraid of losing its naturalness and becoming too tense!

📜 A Poem about Natürlichkeit

Im Lächeln echt, im Sein ganz klar,
die Natürlichkeit, so wunderbar.
Kein falscher Schein, kein lautes Wort,
zieht sie uns hin, an jeden Ort.
Im Wald, im Kind, im stillen Blick,
liegt oft das größte Lebensglück.

English:
In smiles so real, in being clear,
Naturalness, wonderfully dear.
No false pretence, no spoken plight,
It draws us in, with gentle light.
In woods, in child, in silent gaze,
Often lies life's greatest phase.

❓ A Little Riddle

Ich bin das Gegenteil von allem Falschen,
im Kind, im Tier, im freien Rauschen.
Man schätzt mich sehr im Umgangston,
verabscheut wird mein künstlicher Klon.

Was bin ich?

English:
I am the opposite of all that's fake,
In child, in beast, in wind's awake.
People value me when they converse,
My artificial clone, they curse.

What am I?
(Solution: die Natürlichkeit / Naturalness)

🧩 Further Insights

Wortbildung (Word Formation): The word Natürlichkeit is a typical example of forming nouns from adjectives in German using the suffix -keit. This suffix is used to express a quality, state, or condition described by the adjective (here: natürlich - natural).

Philosophischer Bezug (Philosophical Connection): The concept of naturalness (Natürlichkeit) plays a role in various philosophical schools of thought, for example, with Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who discussed the 'natural state' of humankind.