die
Ressource
📚 What does "die Ressource" mean?
Die Ressource (feminine) generally refers to a stock or supply of something that has value or utility, or a source from which benefit is produced. It can refer to both tangible and intangible things.
- Natural resources: Rohstoffe like oil (Öl), water (Wasser), wood (Holz), mineral deposits (Bodenschätze).
- Economic resources: Capital (Kapital), labor (Arbeitskräfte), means of production (Produktionsmittel).
- Human/Personnel resources: Skills (Fähigkeiten), knowledge (Wissen), time (Zeit), workforce (Arbeitskraft) of a person or group (often plural: Personalressourcen).
- Technical resources: Computing power (Rechenleistung), storage space (Speicherplatz) (in IT).
- Inner resources: Personal strengths (persönliche Stärken), resilience (Resilienz), creativity (Kreativität) (in psychology).
It's a versatile word used in many contexts to describe an available source or supply.
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 of "Ressource" in Detail
The noun "Ressource" is feminine. The article is die.
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Ressource |
| Genitive | der | Ressource |
| Dative | der | Ressource |
| Accusative | die | Ressource |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Ressourcen |
| Genitive | der | Ressourcen |
| Dative | den | Ressourcen |
| Accusative | die | Ressourcen |
💡 Example Sentences
- Wasser ist eine wertvolle Ressource. (Water is a valuable resource.)
- Wir müssen unsere natürlichen Ressourcen schützen. (We must protect our natural resources.)
- Das Unternehmen investiert in menschliche Ressourcen. (The company invests in human resources.)
- Dem Projekt fehlen die finanziellen Ressourcen. (The project lacks the financial resources.)
- Innere Ressourcen helfen, schwierige Zeiten zu überstehen. (Inner resources help to get through difficult times.)
🗣️ How to use "die Ressource"?
"Die Ressource" is often used in more formal contexts, especially in Wirtschaft (economics), Politik (politics), environmental science (Umweltwissenschaften), and IT.
- Economics/Management: People talk about finanzielle Ressourcen (financial resources), Personalressourcen (human resources - often used as a synonym for the HR department or employees), or betriebliche Ressourcen (operational resources).
- Environment/Politics: Often refers to natürliche Ressourcen (natural resources), erneuerbare Ressourcen (renewable resources), or knappe Ressourcen (scarce resources) and their management (Ressourcenmanagement, Ressourcenschonung - resource conservation).
- IT: Systemressourcen (system resources) like CPU time or RAM (Arbeitsspeicher).
- Psychology: Persönliche or innere Ressourcen refer to an individual's psychological strengths and abilities.
In everyday language, one might more likely use Mittel (means), Quellen (sources), or Vorräte (supplies), depending on the context. "Ressource" often sounds a bit more technical or abstract.
There's little risk of confusion, as the word has a fairly specific meaning.
🧠 Mnemonics for "Ressource"
- Article Mnemonic: Think of die Source (imagining 'source' as feminine in German, like die Quelle). A Ressource is often a source. Both die Quelle and die Ressource are feminine.
- Meaning Mnemonic: The word comes from French "ressource". Imagine you need something and keep going back ('re') to a specific 'source' for it. You 're-source' it. That's your Re-source.
↔️ Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms (similar meaning):
- Quelle: Source (emphasizes origin, e.g., Informationsquelle - source of information)
- Mittel: Means, funds (more like a tool or financial amount, e.g., finanzielle Mittel - financial means)
- Vorrat: Supply, stock (emphasizes the quantity available, e.g., ein Vorrat an Holz - a supply of wood)
- Potenzial: Potential (emphasizes untapped possibility, e.g., menschliches Potenzial - human potential)
- Bestand: Stock, inventory (an existing quantity)
- Kapital: Capital (specifically financial resources)
Antonyms (opposite meaning):
- Mangel: Lack, shortage
- Knappheit: Scarcity
- Defizit: Deficit, shortfall
- Erschöpfung: Depletion, exhaustion (state after the resource is used up)
⚠️ Note: While Quelle is often interchangeable, Mittel doesn't always fit. You wouldn't say "natürliche Mittel" instead of "natürliche Ressourcen".
😄 A Little Joke
Fragt der Chef den neuen Mitarbeiter: "Was ist Ihre größte Ressource?"
Antwortet der Mitarbeiter: "Die Kaffeemaschine!" ☕
(The boss asks the new employee: "What is your greatest resource?"
The employee replies: "The coffee machine!" ☕)
📜 Poem about the Resource
Die Erde birgt so manchen Schatz,
Die Ressource, an ihrem Platz.
Ob Öl, ob Wasser, klar und rein,
Wir müssen achtsam mit ihr sein.
Auch Wissen, Kraft und Mut im Geist,
Sind Ressourcen, wohl zumeist
Unsichtbar, doch stark und groß,
Helfen uns durchs Lebenslos.
(The earth holds many a treasure,
The resource, in its place.
Whether oil, or water, clear and pure,
We must be mindful of it, for sure.)
(Knowledge, strength, and courage in spirit too,
Are resources, mostly it's true
Invisible, yet strong and grand,
Helping us through life's destined land.)
🧩 Little Riddle
Ich bin ein Mittel, eine Quelle, ein Hort,
Man braucht mich an manch wichtigem Ort.
Ich kann natürlich sein oder Geld,
Manchmal bin ich knapp auf dieser Welt.
Man nutzt mich, schont mich, teilt mich ein,
Was mag ich wohl sein?
(I am a means, a source, a hoard,
I'm needed in many important spots abroad.
I can be natural or money bright,
Sometimes I'm scarce in this world's light.
People use me, save me, portion me with care,
What might I be, beyond compare?)
Solution: die Ressource (the resource)
🌐 Other Information
Etymology: The word "Ressource" comes from French (ressource), derived from the Old French verb resourdre ("to rise again, recover"). It originally described means of recovery or restoration.
Word Formations (Examples):
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Ressource?
The German word "Ressource" is feminine. The correct article is die Ressource. The plural is die Ressourcen.