die  Route

B1

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈʁuːtə/

🗺️ What does "die Route" mean?

Die Route (noun, feminine) refers to a defined or planned way, path, or itinerary from a starting point to a destination. It can relate to various contexts, such as travel, transport, hiking, climbing, or even data transmission.

• Travel planning: The specific course of a journey (e.g., Reiseroute - travel itinerary, Flugroute - flight path).
• Transport: A specific path for vehicles (e.g., Busroute - bus route, LKW-Route - truck route).
• Leisure: A designated path for activities (e.g., Wanderroute - hiking trail, Kletterroute - climbing route, Fahrradroute - cycling route).
• Figurative: A set path or course (e.g., Datenroute - data route in a network).

🚨 The only article for this word is die. Confusion is unlikely as there are no other articles for "Route".

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar & Declension of "die Route"

"Route" is a feminine noun and therefore uses the article die. It is declined as follows:

💡 Example Sentences

1. Wir planen die Route für unseren Urlaub sorgfältig. (We are carefully planning the route for our vacation.)
2. Der Busfahrer kennt die Route auswendig. (The bus driver knows the route by heart.)
3. Diese Wanderung folgt einer malerischen Route durch die Berge. (This hike follows a scenic route through the mountains.)
4. Die Bergsteiger wählten eine schwierige Route zum Gipfel. (The mountaineers chose a difficult route to the summit.)
5. Es gibt verschiedene Routen, um nach Berlin zu fahren. (There are different routes to drive to Berlin.)

🧭 How to use "die Route"?

Die Route is used whenever referring to a specific, often planned, path or way. The focus is on the course of the journey or track.

• In a travel context: You talk about a Reiseroute (travel itinerary), Flugroute (flight path), or Urlaubsroute (holiday route). Example: "Wir haben unsere Route durch Italien festgelegt." (We have determined our route through Italy.)
• In transport: This concerns Fahrstrecken (driving routes), Busrouten (bus routes), Lieferrouten (delivery routes). Example: "Der LKW nimmt immer die gleiche Route." (The truck always takes the same route.)
• In leisure: Popular are Wanderrouten (hiking trails), Fahrradrouten (cycling routes), Kletterrouten (climbing routes). Example: "Die Route ist gut ausgeschildert." (The route is well signposted.)
• Comparison with "Weg" and "Strecke":
  • Der Weg is more general and can also mean a path or direction ("den richtigen Weg finden" - to find the right way).
  • Die Strecke often emphasizes the distance or a segment of a path ("eine lange Strecke fahren" - to drive a long distance).
  • Die Route usually implies planning or definition of the entire course.

🧠 Mnemonics for "die Route"

1. Remembering the article: The word "Route" ends in -e, which is very common for feminine nouns in German. Think: "Die Route leads to the goal (Ziele - poetic ending)." Many feminine nouns end in -e.
2. Remembering the meaning: Imagine planning a road trip route. You need a map (die Karte - feminine) to find the best Route (feminine). Or: Think of a 'root' path planned out - *die Route*.

Sometimes you have to deviate from the planned Route to discover the most beautiful places!

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

⚠️ Similar Words:

• Die Routine: (The routine) Sounds similar but means habit, established procedure. Do not confuse!

😂 A Little Joke

Warum nehmen Skelette keine malerischen Routen?

Weil sie nicht den Mumm (oder die Muskeln) dafür haben, vom Weg abzukommen! 😄

(Why don't skeletons take scenic routes? Because they don't have the guts (or the muscles) to go off track!)

📜 A Little Poem about the Route

Die Route, klar und wohl durchdacht,
Auf Karten oft zur Schau gebracht.
Sie führt uns fort, durch Land und Zeit,
Ein Weg voll Plan und Sicherheit.

Mal kurz, mal lang, mal steil, mal flach,
Die Route weist den Weg zum Dach
Der Welt, zum Meer, zum fernen Ort,
Ein Leitfaden, ein Zauberwort.

(The route, clear and well-conceived,
Often displayed on maps, perceived.
It leads us onward, through land and time,
A path of planning, safe, sublime.)

(Sometimes short, sometimes long, steep or flat,
The route shows the way to the roof, where it's at
Of the world, to the sea, to a place far away,
A guideline, a magic word guiding the day.)

🕵️‍♀️ Riddle

Ich bin ein geplanter Pfad, kein Zufallsweg,
Ich leite Schiffe über manchen Steg.
Wanderer folgen mir, auch Busse fahren mich entlang,
Ich bin auf Karten oft, mal kurz, mal lang.

Was bin ich? → Die Route

(I am a planned path, no accidental way,
I guide ships across many a bay.
Hikers follow me, buses drive along me too,
I'm often on maps, sometimes short, sometimes new (or long).

What am I?
→ The Route)

🧩 Other Interesting Facts

• Etymology: The word "Route" comes from the French word route, which in turn derives from the Latin (via) rupta, meaning "broken (way)" or "way broken through". This originally referred to a path cleared through a forest or difficult terrain.
• Compound Words (Wortzusammensetzungen): "Route" is part of many useful German compound words:
  • Flugroute (flight path)
  • Wanderroute (hiking trail)
  • Fahrradroute (cycling route)
  • Seeroute (sea route)
  • Reiseroute (travel itinerary)
  • Busroute (bus route)