die  Schwäche

B1

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈʃvɛçə/

📖 What exactly does "die Schwäche" mean?

Die Schwäche (noun, feminine) describes various states or qualities characterized by a lack of power, strength, or resistance. It can refer to several areas:

• Physical weakness: A state of lacking physical strength or energy, often after illness or exertion (e.g., Muskelschwäche - muscle weakness, Altersschwäche - weakness due to old age).
• Weakness of character: A lack of moral firmness, willpower, or a negative character trait (e.g., Willensschwäche - weakness of will, eine Schwäche für Klatsch haben - having a weakness for gossip).
• Lack of resilience/stability: Referring to materials, structures, or arguments that are not resistant (e.g., die Schwäche einer Brücke - the weakness of a bridge, die Schwäche einer Argumentation - the weakness of an argument).
• Special fondness/inclination (often with a slightly negative connotation): A susceptibility or particular fondness for something (e.g., eine Schwäche für Süßigkeiten haben - having a weakness for sweets). In this sense, it's often more of a 'vulnerable spot' or inclination than a real deficiency.
• Weak point/vulnerability: A point where something is susceptible to attack or failure (e.g., die Schwäche der Verteidigungslinie - the weakness of the defensive line).

⚠️ Note: Although often negative, acknowledging a Schwäche can also be seen as a strength.

Article rules for der, die, and das

📐 Grammar of "die Schwäche" in Detail

Die Schwäche is a feminine noun. Its declension is as follows:

Example Sentences for Clarity

1. Nach der Grippe litt er unter großer Schwäche.
   (After the flu, he suffered from great weakness.) [Physical]
2. Er kennt seine Stärken und Schwächen sehr gut.
   (He knows his strengths and weaknesses very well.) [Character/General]
3. Die Analyse offenbarte mehrere Schwächen im System.
   (The analysis revealed several weaknesses in the system.) [Weak points]
4. Ich habe eine Schwäche für alte Bücher.
   (I have a weakness for old books.) [Fondness]
5. Die größte Schwäche des Materials ist seine Brüchigkeit.
   (The material's greatest weakness is its brittleness.) [Lack of stability]

💬 How to use "die Schwäche"?

The term die Schwäche is very versatile and used in different contexts:

• In a medical/health context: Describing physical conditions (Altersschwäche - senility/weakness of old age, Kreislaufschwäche - circulatory weakness).
• In psychology/personality description: Naming character flaws or emotional vulnerabilities (Willensschwäche - weakness of will, Charakterschwäche - character flaw). Also in the positive sense of self-awareness ("Seine Schwächen kennen" - knowing one's weaknesses).
• In technical or structural analyses: Identifying flaws or risk points (eine Schwäche im Design - a weakness in the design, die Schwäche der Argumentation - the weakness of the argument).
• In personal language: Expressing a particular fondness or inclination (eine Schwäche für Schokolade haben - having a weakness for chocolate). Here, it's often a more affectionate description of an 'irresistibility'.

Comparison with similar words:

• Schwachheit: Similar, but often slightly more elevated, old-fashioned, or poetic.
• Schwachstelle: Refers more specifically to a concrete point of vulnerability.
• Mangel: More general term for the lack of something necessary, not necessarily related to strength.
• Laster: More strongly negative character weakness or bad habit.
• Faible/Vorliebe: Emphasizes the positive inclination rather than the lack of resistance.

💡 Mnemonics for "die Schwäche"

For the article 'die': Think of DIE Queen (feminine), who might have a secret Schwäche (weakness) for corgis. It's feminine!

For the meaning: The adjective is "schwach" (weak). Add an "-e" and capitalize it to get die Schwäche – the state of being weak or a point where one is weak.

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

☝️ Similar sounding words: Be careful not to confuse "Schwäche" with "Schwärze" (blackness) or "Schwäre" (archaic term for boil/ulcer).

😂 A little joke

Was ist die größte Schwäche eines Skeletts?

Es hat keinen Mumm in den Knochen! 😄

(What is a skeleton's biggest weakness? It doesn't have any guts/courage! [Pun: "Mumm haben" means having guts/courage, but literally translates to having 'marrow' in the bones, which skeletons lack])

✍️ Poem about Weakness

Die Schwäche, leis und oft versteckt,
hat manchen Plan schon umgelenkt.
Mal ist sie Last, mal zarte Seit',
ein Teil von uns, in Freud und Leid.
Doch wer sie kennt und offen zeigt,
hat oft die wahre Stärke leicht.

(Weakness, quiet and often hidden,
has already redirected many a plan.
Sometimes it's a burden, sometimes a tender side,
a part of us, in joy and sorrow.
But who knows it and shows it openly,
often easily has true strength.)

❓ Riddle

Ich bin das Gegenteil von Kraft und Macht,
mal zeig ich mich am Tag, mal in der Nacht.
Ich kann im Körper sein, im Geist, im Plan,
und manchmal bin ich eine süße Bahn,
der man nicht widersteht, so gern man möcht'.

Wer bin ich, mal geliebt, mal schlecht?

(I am the opposite of strength and power,
sometimes I show myself by day, sometimes in the night's hour.
I can be in the body, in the mind, in the plan,
and sometimes I am a sweet path,
which one cannot resist, however much one might want to.

Who am I, sometimes loved, sometimes bad?)

Solution: Die Schwäche (Weakness)

🧩 Further Information

Word Formation:

The noun die Schwäche is derived from the adjective schwach (weak) by adding the suffix -e and capitalizing it (nominalization).

Related Terms & Compounds:

• Altersschwäche: Weakness due to old age.
• Willensschwäche: Weakness of will, lack of determination.
• Muskelschwäche: Muscle weakness.
• Konzentrationsschwäche: Difficulty concentrating.
• Herzschwäche: Heart failure (medical term: Herzinsuffizienz).
• Charakterschwäche: Character flaw.
• Rechenschwäche: Dyscalculia (difficulty with arithmetic).
• Leseschwäche/Rechtschreibschwäche: Dyslexia (difficulty with reading/spelling).