die
Schwangerschaft
🤰 What does "die Schwangerschaft" mean?
Die Schwangerschaft is the German word for pregnancy. It refers to the state and period during which a woman or female mammal carries one or more offspring inside the body, from conception to birth.
It's a physiological process involving many physical and hormonal changes.
The word is definitively feminine and only takes the article "die". There are no variations with der or das.
Article rules for der, die, and das
-ft/ -schaft → almost always feminine.
All -schaft nouns are feminine, but not all -ft nouns are.
🧐 Grammar: Declension of "die Schwangerschaft"
"Schwangerschaft" is a feminine noun. It is usually only used in the singular. The plural ("Schwangerschaften") is rare and refers to multiple individual pregnancy events in different individuals or animals, or repeated pregnancies of one person.
Singular
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Schwangerschaft |
| Genitive | der | Schwangerschaft |
| Dative | der | Schwangerschaft |
| Accusative | die | Schwangerschaft |
Plural (rare)
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Schwangerschaften |
| Genitive | der | Schwangerschaften |
| Dative | den | Schwangerschaften |
| Accusative | die | Schwangerschaften |
📝 Example Sentences
- Ihre Schwangerschaft verlief ohne Komplikationen. (Her pregnancy proceeded without complications.)
- Während der Schwangerschaft sollte man auf Alkohol verzichten. (During pregnancy, one should abstain from alcohol.)
- Die Ärztin bestätigte die Schwangerschaft in der achten Woche. (The doctor confirmed the pregnancy in the eighth week.)
- Manche Frauen erleben mehrere Schwangerschaften in ihrem Leben. (Some women experience multiple pregnancies in their lives. - Plural example)
💡 How to use "Schwangerschaft"?
"Schwangerschaft" is primarily used in medical and everyday contexts to describe the state of carrying a child.
- Medical Context: Describing the course, prenatal check-ups (e.g., Schwangerschaftsvorsorge), potential risks (e.g., Risikoschwangerschaft - high-risk pregnancy), or duration (e.g., Schwangerschaftswoche - week of pregnancy).
- Everyday Language: When talking about one's own experience or that of a friend or relative (e.g., "Ihre Schwangerschaft war eine schöne Zeit." - Her pregnancy was a wonderful time.).
- Abstractly: Sometimes used metaphorically when something is "in the making" or "under development", but this is very rare, and the biological meaning is predominant.
Related words are "schwanger" (adjective: pregnant) and "schwängern" (verb: to impregnate).
🧠 Mnemonics for "die Schwangerschaft"
Article Mnemonic: Many German nouns ending in "-schaft" are feminine and take the article "die". Think of die Freundschaft (friendship), die Wissenschaft (science/scholarship), die Mannschaft (team / manship) – and also die Schwangerschaft. The ending "-schaft" often indicates a state, condition, or collective (like English '-ship').
Meaning Mnemonic: The word contains "schwanger" (pregnant). A Schwangerschaft is the state or 'ship' you're in when you are schwanger. It's the time when new life grows.
↔️ Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms (Similar Meaning):
Antonyms (Opposite Meaning):
- No direct antonym. Descriptions are used, such as:
- Nichtschwangerschaft (non-pregnancy)
- Zustand vor/nach der Schwangerschaft (state before/after pregnancy)
⚠️ Similar but Different Terms:
- Geburt: Birth, the act of being born, the end of pregnancy.
- Mutterschaft: Motherhood, the state or role of being a mother (starts with birth).
😄 A Little Joke
Warum tragen schwangere Frauen immer eine Uhr am Bauch?
Damit die Wehen pünktlich kommen! 😉
---
Why do pregnant women always wear a watch on their belly?
So the contractions (Wehen) arrive on time! 😉
📜 A Little Poem
Die Schwangerschaft, neun Monde lang,
Ein neues Leben, süßer Klang.
Im Bauch geborgen, warm und klein,
Bald wird es auf der Erde sein.
Ein Wunder wächst, Tag für Tag,
Was wohl die Zukunft bringen mag?
---
Pregnancy, nine moons long,
A new life, a sweet song.
Sheltered in the belly, warm and small,
Soon it will be on Earth for all.
A miracle grows, day by day,
What might the future bring, what may?
🧩 Riddle Time
Ich bin ein Zustand, keine Krankheit,
dauere meist neun Monate, bringe Freudigkeit.
Ich beginne klein und unsichtbar,
und ende mit einem Wunder, wunderbar.
Mit "die" steh ich im Duden klar.
Was bin ich?
---
I am a state, not a disease,
usually last nine months, bringing joy and ease.
I start small and invisible,
and end with a miracle, wonderful.
With "die" I clearly stand in the dictionary.
What am I?
Solution: die Schwangerschaft (pregnancy)
✨ More Interesting Facts
Word Composition:
The word "Schwangerschaft" is composed of:
- schwanger: The adjective meaning "pregnant".
- -schaft: A suffix indicating a state, condition, quality, or collective (like English '-ship' or '-hood'). Here it signifies the state of being pregnant.
Related Terms:
- Schwangerschaftstest: Pregnancy test.
- Schwangerschaftsabbruch: Abortion / termination of pregnancy.
- Schwangerschaftsstreifen: Stretch marks (lit. pregnancy stripes).
- Mutterschutz: Maternity protection (legal regulations protecting pregnant women and mothers in the workplace).
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Schwangerschaft?
The word "Schwangerschaft" is feminine. The correct article is always die: die Schwangerschaft. There are no other articles for this word.