die
Schusswaffe
🔫 What exactly is a Schusswaffe?
A Schusswaffe is the German word for a firearm or gun. It refers to a device designed to expel a projectile through a barrel using hot gases produced by burning a propellant charge. It's an umbrella term for various types like Pistolen (pistols), Gewehre (rifles), or Revolver (revolvers).
The word is feminine, so it's always die Schusswaffe.
⚠️ Attention: The term often has a precise legal definition (e.g., in the German Weapons Act - Waffengesetz) and possession and use are strictly regulated.
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 in Detail: Die Schusswaffe
The noun „Schusswaffe“ is feminine. Here are the declension tables:
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Schusswaffe |
| Genitive | der | Schusswaffe |
| Dative | der | Schusswaffe |
| Accusative | die | Schusswaffe |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Schusswaffen |
| Genitive | der | Schusswaffen |
| Dative | den | Schusswaffen |
| Accusative | die | Schusswaffen |
📝 Example Sentences
- Der Polizist trug seine Schusswaffe am Gürtel. (The police officer carried his firearm on his belt.)
- Der Besitz illegaler Schusswaffen ist strafbar. (Possession of illegal firearms is punishable by law.)
- Die Jägerin reinigte ihre Schusswaffe nach der Jagd. (The huntress cleaned her firearm after the hunt.)
- Im Museum sind historische Schusswaffen ausgestellt. (Historical firearms are exhibited in the museum.)
🎯 How is "Schusswaffe" used?
The term „Schusswaffe“ is used in various contexts:
- Law and Administration: In the Waffengesetz (Weapons Act) for classifying weapons.
- Police and Military: As part of standard equipment and in reports about operations.
- News and Media: When reporting on crime, conflicts, or gun control.
- Hunting and Shooting Sports: To refer to the sports or hunting equipment used.
- Everyday Language: As a general term for pistols, rifles, etc., often carrying a serious connotation.
It's a rather technical or formal term compared to colloquial words like Knarre (gat, piece) or Puste (peashooter, informal gun term). It is clearly distinct from other weapon types like Hiebwaffen (melee weapons, e.g., batons) or Stichwaffen (stabbing weapons, e.g., knives).
🧠 Mnemonics for Schusswaffe
Article Mnemonic: Remember that die Waffe (weapon) is feminine. Since a Schusswaffe is a specific type of weapon, it stays feminine: die Schusswaffe.
Meaning Mnemonic: The word is composed of Schuss (shot, the act of shooting) and Waffe (weapon). A weapon that shoots = Schusswaffe (firearm).
🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms (similar meaning):
- Feuerwaffe: Very similar, emphasizes the ignition of a charge (fire-weapon).
- Gewehr: A specific type of long firearm (rifle).
- Pistole: A specific type of short firearm (pistol).
- Revolver: A specific type of handgun with a revolving cylinder.
- Knarre (coll.): Slang for handgun (gat, piece).
- Ballermann (coll., often pejorative): Slang for a (large) handgun.
Antonyms/Contrasts (opposite or different concept):
- Nicht-Schusswaffe: General term for anything that isn't a firearm.
- Hiebwaffe: Melee weapon, works by hitting (e.g., club).
- Stichwaffe: Stabbing weapon (e.g., dagger).
- Schutzwaffe: Protective gear (e.g., bulletproof vest, shield) - not a direct antonym, but an opposing concept.
- Spielzeugwaffe: Toy gun, an imitation, not a real weapon.
Potentially Confusing Words:
😂 A Little Joke
Warum hat der Computer Angst vor der Schusswaffe?
Weil er gehört hat, dass sie oft „Screenshots“ macht! 😉
(Why is the computer afraid of the firearm? Because it heard they often take "screenshots"!)
📜 Poem about the Schusswaffe
Aus Metall, oft kalt und schwer,
liegt sie da, begehrt und mehr.
Die Schusswaffe, mit Knall und Rauch,
verändert Leben, ist's ihr Brauch.
Ein Werkzeug nur, in Hand geführt,
doch Schicksal wird durch sie berührt.
Mit Vorsicht sei sie stets bedacht,
denn groß ist ihre dunkle Macht.
(Made of metal, often cold and heavy,
it lies there, desired and more.
The firearm, with bang and smoke,
changes lives, that's its custom.
Just a tool, guided by hand,
yet fate is touched by it.
Be always mindful of it,
for great is its dark power.)
❓ Riddle Time
Ich habe einen Lauf, doch renne nie.
Ich spreche laut, doch ohne Zunge, sieh!
Ich werfe etwas weit, mit Blitz und Knall.
Man fürchtet mich, fast überall.
Was bin ich?
(I have a barrel (Lauf also means 'run'), but I never run.
I speak loudly, but without a tongue, look!
I throw something far, with flash and bang.
I am feared, almost everywhere.
What am I?)
Solution: Die Schusswaffe (The firearm)
🧩 Other Information
Word Composition:
The word „Schusswaffe“ is a compound noun, formed from:
- der Schuss: Refers to the act of shooting or the projectile fired (shot).
- die Waffe: An instrument for fighting, hunting, or defense (weapon).
Legal Aspects (Germany):
In Germany, the Waffengesetz (WaffG - Weapons Act) precisely defines what constitutes a Schusswaffe and specifies the requirements for acquisition, possession, and carrying (e.g., Waffenbesitzkarte - weapons possession permit, Waffenschein - firearms carry permit). There are firearms requiring a permit, those exempt from permits, and prohibited weapons.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Schusswaffe?
The word 'Schusswaffe' is feminine. The correct article is always die: die Schusswaffe (singular), die Schusswaffen (plural).