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nature environment wilderness
الطبيعة البيئة البرية
naturaleza medio ambiente desierto
طبیعت محیط زیست وحشیت
nature environnement sauvage
प्रकृति पर्यावरण जंगल
natura ambiente natura selvaggia
自然 環境 荒野
natura środowisko dzicz
natureza ambiente selvagem
natură mediu sălbăticie
природа окружающая среда дикость
doğa çevre vahşilik
природа навколишнє середовище дикість
自然 环境 野外

die  Natur
A2
Estimated CEFR level.
/naˈtuːɐ̯/

🌍 What does "die Natur" mean?

The word die Natur (feminine) primarily has two meanings in German:

  1. The physical world: Everything not created by humans – landscapes (Landschaften), plants (Pflanzen), animals (Tiere), weather (das Wetter), etc. Example: Wir machen einen Spaziergang in der Natur. (We're taking a walk in nature.)
  2. The essence or disposition: The fundamental character or qualities of a person (Person), thing (Sache), or concept (Konzept). Example: Es liegt in seiner Natur, hilfsbereit zu sein. (It's in his nature to be helpful.)

⚠️ The article used is almost always die.

Article rules for der, die, and das

-ur/-ür mostly feminine.

Caution: -eur nouns are usually masculine (e.g. der Ingenieur).

Examples: die Agentur · die Akupunktur · die Altersstruktur · die Apparatur · die Architektur · die Bundesagen...
⚠️ Exceptions: das Abitur · das Geschwür · das Gespür · der Akteur · der Amateur · der Flur · der Friseur · der Gou...

🧐 Grammar of "die Natur" in Detail

"Natur" is a feminine noun. It is mostly used in the singular. The plural form ("die Naturen") is rare and mainly used in philosophical or scientific contexts to refer to different kinds or types of natures or essences.

Singular

Declension of "die Natur" (Singular)
Case Article Noun
Nominative (Who/What?) die Natur
Genitive (Whose?) der Natur
Dative (To whom?) der Natur
Accusative (Whom/What?) die Natur

Plural - Rare

Declension of "die Naturen" (Plural)
Case Article Noun
Nominative die Naturen
Genitive der Naturen
Dative den Naturen
Accusative die Naturen

📝 Example Sentences

  • Die Natur erwacht im Frühling zum Leben. (Nature comes alive in spring. - Meaning 1)
  • Die raue Natur der Berge fasziniert mich. (The rough nature of the mountains fascinates me. - Meaning 1)
  • Es entspricht nicht seiner Natur, aufzugeben. (It's not in his nature to give up. - Meaning 2)
  • Die menschliche Natur ist komplex. (Human nature is complex. - Meaning 2)

💡 How to use "die Natur"?

"Die Natur" is often used in fixed phrases:

  • in der Natur sein/etwas in der Natur unternehmen: to spend time outdoors, often for recreation. (Wir waren am Wochenende viel in der Natur. - We were outdoors a lot on the weekend.)
  • von Natur aus: describing an innate quality; by nature. (Er ist von Natur aus neugierig. - He is curious by nature.)
  • die Natur der Sache: the nature of the thing/matter; the inherent logic of a situation. (Es liegt in der Natur der Sache, dass Projekte manchmal länger dauern. - It's in the nature of things that projects sometimes take longer.)
  • Mutter Natur: Mother Nature, a personification of nature.

In the context of the physical world, "Natur" often contrasts with "Kultur" (culture) or "Zivilisation" (civilization). In the context of essence, it represents the core character as opposed to learned behavior.

🧠 Mnemonics for "Natur"

For the article: Think of Mother Nature - 'Mother' implies feminine, helping you remember die Natur. The ending '-ur' is also common (though not exclusively) for feminine nouns in German (like die Kultur, die Zensur).

For the meaning: Imagine 'nature' both outside (die Natur - the environment) and inside (die Natur - someone's character). It's what is 'naturally' there.

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms (Similar words):

Antonyms (Opposites):

  • For "physical world": die Kultur (culture), die Zivilisation (civilization), die Stadt (city), die Technik (technology), die Kunst (art)
  • For "essence/disposition": die Unnatur (unnaturalness - rare), die Künstlichkeit (artificiality), anerzogenes Verhalten (learned behavior)

🚨 Be careful with "Art". It can mean "type/kind" but also "nature/manner" (e.g., "seine freundliche Art" - his friendly nature/manner).

😂 A Little Joke

Warum nehmen Skelette keinen Urlaub in der Natur?

Weil sie keinen Körper haben, um ihn zu genießen!

(Why don't skeletons take vacations in nature? Because they have no body to enjoy it!) 😉

📜 Poem about Nature

Die Natur, so weit und breit,
schenkt uns Schönheit, Kraft und Zeit.
Bäume rauschen, Bäche fließen,
lassen uns das Sein genießen.
Auch im Menschen, tief im Kern,
liegt die Natur, oft fern und stern.

(Nature, so vast and wide,
gives us beauty, strength, and time.
Trees rustle, streams flow,
let us enjoy existence.
Also in humans, deep in the core,
lies nature, often distant like a star.)

❓ Riddle

Ich bin nicht vom Menschen gemacht,
habe Wälder und Seen hervorgebracht.
Ich bin auch das Wesen, tief in dir drin,
dein angeborener Sinn.

Wer bin ich? ... Die Natur

(I am not made by man,
I brought forth forests and lakes.
I am also the essence, deep inside you,
your innate sense/disposition.)

(Who am I?) ... Nature (die Natur)

🌱 Other Interesting Facts

  • Etymology: The word "Natur" comes from the Latin word "natura", meaning "birth", "constitution", "character", or "course of things". It's related to "nasci" (to be born).
  • Compounds (Wortzusammensetzungen): There are many compound words with "Natur-", e.g.: Naturwissenschaft (natural science), Naturkatastrophe (natural disaster), Naturschutz (nature conservation), Naturprodukt (natural product), Naturtalent (natural talent).
  • Philosophy: The concept of "Natur" plays a central role in many philosophical debates (e.g., nature vs. culture, natural law - Naturrecht).

📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Natur?

The word "Natur" is feminine. The correct article is always die Natur.

🤖

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