die  Pflicht

B1

Estimated CEFR level.

/pflɪçt/

📜 What does 'die Pflicht' mean?

Die Pflicht (feminine) refers to a duty, obligation, or responsibility – something someone is required to do (or refrain from doing) for moral, legal, or social reasons. It's something one must or should do, regardless of personal inclination.

• Moralische Pflicht: An inner obligation based on conscience or ethical principles (e.g., the duty to help others in need).
• Rechtliche Pflicht: An obligation established by law or contracts (e.g., Steuerpflicht - tax obligation, Schulpflicht - compulsory schooling).
• Soziale/Berufliche Pflicht: Expectations and tasks arising from a specific role or position (e.g., the duties of a doctor, parental duties).

⚠️ It's important not to confuse die Pflicht (duty/obligation) with das Recht (right/entitlement).

Article rules for der, die, and das

📚 Grammar in Detail: die Pflicht

The noun "Pflicht" is feminine. The article is always die.

Declension of 'die Pflicht'

Here's how "die Pflicht" (the duty) declines:

Example Sentences

1. Es ist deine Pflicht, die Wahrheit zu sagen.
   (It is your duty to tell the truth.)
2. Die Eltern haben bestimmte Pflichten gegenüber ihren Kindern.
   (Parents have certain duties towards their children.)
3. Er erfüllte seine beruflichen Pflichten stets gewissenhaft.
   (He always fulfilled his professional duties conscientiously.)
4. Die Einhaltung der Verkehrsregeln ist eine Bürgerpflicht.
   (Following traffic rules is a civic duty.)
5. Manchmal fühlt sich eine Pflicht wie eine Last an.
   (Sometimes a duty feels like a burden.)

💡 How to Use 'die Pflicht'?

"Die Pflicht" is often used in formal or serious contexts, especially concerning legal, moral, or professional obligations.

• In Law: You talk about gesetzliche Pflichten (legal duties), Unterhaltspflicht (obligation to pay alimony/child support), Meldepflicht (duty to register), etc.
• In Ethics/Philosophy: Central concepts like Kant's Pflichtethik (deontological ethics) are based on this term. It concerns what ought to be done.
• In Work/Everyday Life: People speak of Amtspflichten (official duties), elterliche Pflichten (parental duties), or simply things one has to do (e.g., "Das Aufräumen ist deine Pflicht." - Tidying up is your duty.)

Distinguishing from similar terms:

• Aufgabe (task): Often interchangeable, but "Aufgabe" can be more neutral, emphasizing less the aspect of obligation ("Meine Aufgabe ist es, den Bericht zu schreiben" - My task is to write the report vs. "Es ist meine Pflicht, den Bericht zu schreiben" - It's my duty to write the report).
• Verantwortung (responsibility): Closely related, but "Verantwortung" tends to emphasize accountability and the consequences of acting or not acting. One has the Pflicht to do something and bears the Verantwortung for the outcome.
• Verpflichtung (commitment, obligation): Very similar, often synonymous. "Verpflichtung" can sometimes more strongly emphasize a contractual or self-imposed bond.

Common phrases include: seiner Pflicht nachkommen (to fulfill one's duty), eine Pflicht erfüllen (to perform a duty), eine Pflicht vernachlässigen (to neglect a duty), or eine Pflicht haben (to have a duty).

🧠 Mnemonics for 'die Pflicht'

Article Mnemonic

Think: "Die Pflicht ruft!" (Duty calls!) - imagine a strong female figure (die) calling you to your Pflicht (duty). Alternatively, words ending in -icht in German are often feminine (like die Sicht - the sight, die Schicht - the layer/shift). So Pflicht -> die Pflicht.

Meaning Mnemonic

Imagine you have to do something you dislike, but it's important. You feel 'plighted' (similar sound to Pflicht) to do it. It's your Pflicht - your duty or obligation.

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms for 'Pflicht'

⚠️ Similar Words:

• Pflichtbewusstsein (das): Sense of duty, conscientiousness.
• Pflichtgefühl (das): Feeling of duty.
• Pflichtverletzung (die): Breach/neglect of duty.

😂 A Little Joke

DE: Warum hat der Wecker so viele Pflichten?
Weil er jeden Morgen seiner Weckpflicht nachkommen muss!

EN: Why does the alarm clock have so many duties?
Because every morning it has to fulfill its 'wake-up duty' (Weckpflicht)!

📜 Poem about Pflicht

DE:
Die Pflicht, ein Wort, oft schwer und grau,
Sie fordert Handeln, hier und schau.
Mal Bürde, die uns niederdrückt,
Mal Kompass, der den Weg bestückt.

Recht und Moral, sie weben mit,
Im Alltag, Schritt für Schritt.
Doch Freiheit lacht, wo Pflichten ruh'n,
Was bleibt zu wählen, was zu tun?

EN:
Duty, a word, often heavy and grey,
It demands action, here and look today.
Sometimes a burden, pressing us down,
Sometimes a compass, adorning the town (path).

Right and morality, they weave along,
In daily life, step by step, strong.
But freedom laughs where duties rest,
What's left to choose, what action's best?

🧩 Riddle

DE:
Ich bin kein Wunsch, doch oft ein Muss.
Ich wohne im Gesetz, im Kuss
Der Eltern für ihr Kindeswohl,
Im Job, im Leben, hohl
Ist's ohne mich, sagt mancher Mann.
Man kann mich tun, so gut man kann.

Was bin ich?

EN:
I'm not a wish, but often a must.
I live in the law, in the trust (kiss)
Of parents for their child's well-being,
In work, in life, unseeing
Is life without me, some men say.
You can do me, as best you may.

What am I?
(Answer: die Pflicht / duty)

➕ Other Information

Word Composition & Origin:

• The word "Pflicht" comes from the Middle High German word "pflicht", which originally meant "care, support, assistance, obligation". It is related to the verb "pflegen" (to care for, to cultivate).

Compounds (Examples):

• Pflichtbewusstsein (das): awareness of one's duties, conscientiousness
• Pflichterfüllung (die): fulfillment of duty
• Pflichtgefühl (das): sense of duty
• Pflichtlektüre (die): required reading
• Pflichtschuldig (Adjective): dutiful, obliged
• Pflichtverletzung (die): breach of duty
• Schulpflicht (die): compulsory schooling
• Steuerpflicht (die): tax liability/obligation