die
Schweigepflicht
🤫 What does "die Schweigepflicht" mean?
Die Schweigepflicht is a legal or contractual obligation for certain professional groups not to disclose secrets or information entrusted to them to third parties. It serves to protect the trust relationship (das Vertrauensverhältnis) between the person holding the secret (e.g., doctor, lawyer, therapist - der Geheimnisträger) and the person confiding in them (e.g., patient, client - der Patient, der Mandant, der Klient).
It is a feminine noun and always used with the article "die". A breach of die Schweigepflicht can have legal consequences (e.g., according to § 203 of the German Criminal Code - Strafgesetzbuch).
🚨 Important: Die Schweigepflicht is not absolute and can or must be broken under certain circumstances (e.g., in cases of acute danger to the life and limb of third parties or due to legal reporting obligations - gesetzliche Meldepflicht).
Article rules for der, die, and das
Wisdom, power, rules → mostly feminine.
-icht → mostly feminine.
🧐 Grammar & Declension of Schweigepflicht
The word "Schweigepflicht" is a feminine noun. It is almost exclusively used in the singular as it describes an abstract concept. A plural ("die Schweigepflichten") is grammatically possible but very rare and would refer to multiple specific obligations.
Declension Singular
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Subject) | die | Schweigepflicht |
| Genitive (Possessive) | der | Schweigepflicht |
| Dative (Indirect Object) | der | Schweigepflicht |
| Accusative (Direct Object) | die | Schweigepflicht |
Example Sentences
- Der Arzt unterliegt der ärztlichen Schweigepflicht.
(The doctor is subject to medical confidentiality.) - Die Einhaltung der Schweigepflicht ist für Anwälte essenziell.
(Adherence to the duty of confidentiality is essential for lawyers.) - Er wurde wegen Verletzung seiner Schweigepflicht belangt.
(He was prosecuted for breaching his duty of confidentiality.)
🗣️ Everyday Usage
Die Schweigepflicht is a central term in legal and professional ethics contexts. It is mainly used in relation to professions that have access to sensitive personal information:
- Medicine: Doctors (Ärzte), dentists (Zahnärzte), psychotherapists (Psychotherapeuten), pharmacists (Apotheker), medical staff (medizinisches Personal)
- Law: Lawyers (Rechtsanwälte), notaries (Notare), tax advisors (Steuerberater)
- Social Work & Pastoral Care: Social workers (Sozialarbeiter), clergy (Geistliche)
- Others: Journalists (regarding informant protection - Informantenschutz), certain civil servants (Beamte)
One says that someone "unterliegt der Schweigepflicht" (is subject to the duty of confidentiality) or is "an die Schweigepflicht gebunden" (is bound by the duty of confidentiality). A "Bruch der Schweigepflicht" (breach of confidentiality) is a serious offense.
In general language, "Schweigepflicht" can also be used metaphorically when someone is asked to keep confidential information to themselves, even without a legal obligation.
Distinction: While "Verschwiegenheit" describes a general trait or virtue (discretion, taciturnity), "die Schweigepflicht" is a concrete, often legally anchored obligation.
🧠 Mnemonics
Article Mnemonic: The word ends in "-pflicht". Many German nouns ending in "-schaft", "-heit", "-keit", "-ung", and also "-pflicht" are feminine. Think of "die Pflicht" (the duty) – therefore, it's "die Schweigepflicht".
Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine you must schweigen (be silent) and this is your Pflicht (duty). Silence + Duty = Schweigepflicht (Duty of Silence/Confidentiality). 🤫➕📜
🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms (similar meaning):
- Verschwiegenheitspflicht: Very similar, often interchangeable.
- Diskretionspflicht: Emphasizes discreet handling of information.
- Berufsgeheimnis: (Professional secret) Refers to all information to be kept secret within a profession.
- Amtsverschwiegenheit: (Official secrecy) Specifically for civil servants and public employees.
Antonyms (opposite meaning):
- Offenbarungspflicht: (Duty of disclosure) The obligation to reveal certain information (e.g., regarding infectious diseases).
- Mitteilungspflicht: (Duty to inform/notify) An obligation to pass on information.
- Aussagepflicht: (Obligation to testify) The duty to testify in court or before authorities.
- Informationspflicht: (Duty to provide information) The obligation to inform someone about something.
Similar Terms (Potential Confusion):
- Datenschutz: (Data protection) Generally refers to the protection of personal data, whereas Schweigepflicht specifically protects what has been entrusted.
- Verschwiegenheit: (Discretion, taciturnity) A personal quality, not a legal duty.
😂 A Little Joke
Fragt der Richter den Angeklagten: "Warum haben Sie Ihrem Anwalt nicht die ganze Wahrheit erzählt?"
Antwortet der Angeklagte: "Ich dachte, die Schweigepflicht gilt auch ihm gegenüber!"
Translation:
The judge asks the defendant: "Why didn't you tell your lawyer the whole truth?"
The defendant replies: "I thought the duty of confidentiality applied to him too!"
📜 Poem about Schweigepflicht
Ein Wort gesagt im tiefen Raum,
vertraulich, wie ein leiser Traum.
Der Arzt, der Anwalt hört es an,
ist durch die Pflicht gebunden dann.
Zu schweigen, was ihm anvertraut,
auf dass Vertrauen weiterbaut.
Die Lippen fest, der Sinn ganz klar,
so schützt sie, was verletzlich war.
Translation:
A word spoken in a deep room,
Confidential, like a quiet dream's bloom.
The doctor, the lawyer hears the sound,
By duty's mandate, they are bound.
To remain silent on what's conferred,
So that trust can be further stirred.
With lips sealed tight, the mind held fast,
Protecting vulnerability from the past.
❓ Riddle
Ich bin kein Schloss, doch schütze ich Geheimes gut.
Ich bin kein Eid, doch fordere ich Treu und Mut.
Wer mich verletzt, dem droht oft eine Strafe.
Ich wohne dort, wo man vertraut dem Arzt, dem Anwalt oder Pfaffe.
Was bin ich?
Lösung: Die Schweigepflicht
Translation:
I am not a lock, yet I guard secrets well.
I am not an oath, yet demand loyalty and courage, I compel.
Who violates me, often faces a penalty's might.
I dwell where trust is placed in doctor, lawyer, or cleric's light.
What am I?
Solution: Die Schweigepflicht (The duty of confidentiality)
🧩 Other Information
Word Composition
The word "Schweigepflicht" is a compound noun, composed of:
- Schweigen: The verb "schweigen" (to be silent, not to speak).
- Pflicht: The noun "die Pflicht" (duty, obligation, responsibility).
It literally means "the duty to be silent".
Legal Basis (Example: Germany)
In Germany, the violation of die Schweigepflicht by certain professional groups (Geheimnisträger - bearers of secrets) is punishable under § 203 of the German Criminal Code (StGB) ("Verletzung von Privatgeheimnissen" - Violation of private secrets). This highlights the significant importance of this duty for the community and individual trust relationships.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Schweigepflicht?
The word "Schweigepflicht" is feminine. The correct article is die. So you say: die Schweigepflicht.