die
Passage
📖 What does "die Passage" mean?
The word die Passage (feminine) has several meanings in German:
- 🚶♀️ Walkway, Arcade, Corridor: Usually a covered path between buildings or through a building, often lined with shops (Einkaufspassage - shopping arcade). Example: Wir schlenderten durch die gläserne Passage. (We strolled through the glass passage.)
- 📜 Excerpt, Passage (Text): A specific part or section from a longer text (book, article). Example: Lies bitte die markierte Passage noch einmal vor. (Please read the highlighted passage again.)
- 🎶 Musical Passage: A short, often technically demanding part of a piece of music. Example: Der Pianist meisterte die schnelle Passage brillant. (The pianist masterfully handled the fast passage.)
- 🚢 Sea Voyage, Crossing (rather dated): The journey across a sea or ocean. Example: Die Passage über den Atlantik dauerte damals Wochen. (The passage across the Atlantic took weeks back then.)
⚠️ It's important to consider the context to understand the correct meaning.
Article rules for der, die, and das
-e/-ee → almost always feminine.
There are many -e nouns, many of which are feminine, but there are also some important exceptions.
🧐 Grammar Deep Dive: "die Passage"
Die Passage is a feminine noun. Its declension is as follows:
Case | Article | Noun |
---|---|---|
Nominative (Subject) | die | Passage |
Genitive (Possessive) | der | Passage |
Dative (Indirect Object) | der | Passage |
Accusative (Direct Object) | die | Passage |
Case | Article | Noun |
---|---|---|
Nominative | die | Passagen |
Genitive | der | Passagen |
Dative | den | Passagen |
Accusative | die | Passagen |
Example Sentences
- Die neue Passage verbindet die beiden Einkaufszentren.
(The new passage connects the two shopping centers. - Nominative Singular, Meaning: Walkway) - Der Inhalt der Passage war sehr bewegend.
(The content of the passage was very moving. - Genitive Singular, Meaning: Text Excerpt) - In der Passage spielte ein Straßenmusiker.
(A street musician played in the passage. - Dative Singular, Meaning: Walkway) - Ich habe die Passage im Buch nicht verstanden.
(I didn't understand the passage in the book. - Accusative Singular, Meaning: Text Excerpt) - Viele berühmte Autoren haben beeindruckende Passagen geschrieben.
(Many famous authors have written impressive passages. - Nominative/Accusative Plural, Meaning: Text Excerpts)
💡 How to Use "die Passage"?
The use of die Passage depends heavily on the context:
- Architecture/Urban Planning: Here, it often refers to an elegant, covered walkway, frequently with shops (Einkaufspassage). It sounds more upscale than a simple Durchgang (passageway) or Gang (corridor/aisle).
- Literature/Music: Here, it refers to a specific part of a work. It is synonymous with Abschnitt (section) or Textstelle (text section), but often carries a connotation of importance or distinctiveness.
- Travel (dated): Previously common for sea voyages, it's less used today. One would more likely say Überfahrt (crossing) or Reise (journey).
Compared to synonyms:
🧠 Mnemonics for Passage
Article Mnemonic: Think of a *passionate* lady (*die* Dame) elegantly walking through *die* Passage. Feminine elegance -> die Passage.
Meaning Mnemonic: Whether you *pass* through a text or *pass* through a walkway – both are a Passage. The word sounds like 'pass age', like passing through a section or an age of architecture.
🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
- For Walkway: der Durchgang (passageway), der Gang (corridor), der Korridor (corridor), die Arkade (arcade), die Galerie (gallery, esp. shopping arcade)
- For Text/Music Excerpt: der Abschnitt (section), die Stelle (spot, section), die Textstelle (text section), der Auszug (excerpt), das Zitat (quote), der Teil (part)
- For Voyage (dated): die Überfahrt (crossing), die Seereise (sea journey)
⚠️ Similar Words:
😂 A Little Joke
Warum nehmen Musiker in einer engen Passage immer den Bass mit?
Damit sie einen guten Durch-Gang haben! 😉
(Why do musicians always take the bass guitar into a narrow passage?
So they have good *passage*! - Play on words: Durchgang means passage/walkway, but Gang also relates to walking/going, and Durch-Gang sounds a bit like 'good passage/going through')
✍️ Poem about Passage
Durch Glas und Stein, ein Weg so klar,
die Passage, wunderbar.
Ein Hauch von Luxus, Licht und Raum,
ein städtischer, lebend'ger Traum.
Im Buch ein Satz, ein Sinn, ein Teil,
die Passage fesselt schnell.
Ein Wort, ein Klang, der hängen bleibt,
die Kunst des Ausdrucks uns beschreibt.
Through glass and stone, a path so clear,
the passage, wonderfully dear.
A touch of luxury, light, and space,
a vibrant, urban dream's embrace.
In books a sentence, meaning, part,
the passage quickly grips the heart.
A word, a sound that lingers on,
the art of phrasing brightly shone.
🧩 Little Riddle
Ich kann ein Weg sein, hell und schick,
mit Läden voll für dein Geschick.
Ich kann ein Teil sein aus 'nem Buch,
ein kurzer, wichtiger Besuch.
Was bin ich nur, mal hier, mal dort?
Ein vielgenutztes, schönes Wort.
(I can be a path, bright and chic,
With shops aplenty, for your pick.
I can be a part taken from a book,
A short, important little look.
What am I, sometimes here, sometimes there?
A widely used word, beyond compare.)
(Solution: die Passage)
ℹ️ Trivia
- Word Origin: The word "Passage" comes from the French word passage, meaning "passing through" or "way through". It derives from the verb passer ("to pass").
- Famous Passages: Many European cities are known for their historic 19th-century shopping arcades (Einkaufspassagen), e.g., the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert in Brussels, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan, or the Mädlerpassage in Leipzig.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Passage?
The German word "Passage" is always feminine: die Passage. Its main meanings are a walkway or arcade (often covered and with shops) and an excerpt or section from a text or piece of music.