die  Senkung

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈzɛŋkʊŋ/

📉 What does "die Senkung" mean?

Die Senkung is a feminine noun and generally describes the process or result of sinking or being lowered. Depending on the context, it can have several specific meanings:

• General/Economic: A reduction, decrease, or decline, e.g., of prices, costs, interest rates, or temperatures. (Example: die Preissenkung - the price reduction)
• Geological/Technical: The subsidence or sinking of ground, terrain, or structural components. (Example: die Bodensenkung - ground subsidence)
• Medical:
  • The dropping or descent of an organ (prolapse). (Example: die Gebärmuttersenkung - uterine prolapse)
  • A decrease in certain blood values or bodily functions. (Example: die Blutsenkung - erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), a diagnostic value)
  • Sometimes used in the sense of a mild depression or low mood, although 'Depression' is more common. (Example: eine leichte Senkung der Stimmung - a slight lowering of mood)

⚠️ Pay attention to the context to understand the exact meaning!

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar of "die Senkung" in Detail

"Die Senkung" is a feminine noun. Like most feminine nouns ending in -ung, it takes the article "die".

📝 Example Sentences

1. Die Senkung der Preise freute die Kunden.
   (The reduction of prices pleased the customers.)
2. Nach dem Bergbau kam es zu deutlichen Bodensenkungen.
   (After the mining, significant ground subsidences occurred.)
3. Die Ärztin diagnostizierte eine leichte Senkung der Gebärmutter.
   (The doctor diagnosed a slight prolapse of the uterus.)
4. Eine Senkung der Körpertemperatur kann gefährlich sein.
   (A drop in body temperature can be dangerous.)
5. Wir hoffen auf eine Senkung der Arbeitslosenquote.
   (We hope for a reduction in the unemployment rate.)

💡 How to use "die Senkung"

"Die Senkung" is used in various contexts to describe a downward movement or reduction.

• In economic contexts: Very common regarding prices (`Preissenkung`), costs (`Kostensenkung`), interest rates (`Zinssenkung`), or taxes (`Steuersenkung`). It implies a positive development for consumers or taxpayers, but potentially negative for providers or the state.
• In technical/geological contexts: Describes the sinking of surfaces, often due to natural processes (`Bodensenkung` from groundwater extraction) or human activities (mining, construction).
• In medical contexts: Refers to the pathological descent of organs (`Organsenkung`, `Gebärmuttersenkung` - uterine prolapse, `Blasensenkung` - bladder prolapse) or specific measurements (`Blutsenkungsgeschwindigkeit` - ESR). A `Stimmungssenkung` is a milder form of depression.

The word is more formal than, for example, "das Fallen" (of prices). It's often used in news, reports, and technical language. The related verb is senken (to lower something) or sinken (to sink by itself).

🧠 Mnemonics for "die Senkung"

Article Mnemonic: Many German nouns ending in -ung that describe a process or result are feminine. Think of: die Landung (the landing), die Meinung (the opinion), die Rechnung (the bill) – and also die Senkung. The ending -ung strongly signals "die"!

Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine you sink a heavy anchor (symbolizing something going down) into the water. The downward motion is the Senkung. Or think of scales: one side goes down (sinks/senkt sich) when something is reduced (price, weight) – that's a Senkung.

↔️ Opposites and Synonyms: What's similar to "Senkung"?

⚠️ Similar Words

• Senke (die): A depression or hollow in the terrain. Not the process of sinking.
• Sinkflug (der): The descent of an aircraft.

😂 A little joke

Warum sind die Preise im Keller so niedrig?

(Why are the prices in the basement so low?)

Weil sie eine starke Senkung erlebt haben!

(Because they experienced a strong reduction/lowering!) 😉

📜 Poem about Senkung

Die Preise fallen, welch ein Glück,
(The prices fall, what luck,)
Die Senkung bringt das Geld zurück.
(The reduction brings the money back.)
Der Boden gibt nach, ganz sacht und still,
(The ground gives way, gently and quietly,)
Eine Senkung, wie die Erde will.
(A subsidence, as the earth wants.)
Ein Organ sinkt, die Sorge wächst,
(An organ sinks, the worry grows,)
Die Senkung wird vom Arzt gecheckt.
(The prolapse is checked by the doctor.)
Ob Zins, ob Stimmung, ob Temperatur,
(Whether interest, mood, or temperature,)
Die Senkung zeigt 'ne neue Spur.
(The lowering shows a new track.)

❓ Little Riddle

Ich kann Preise fallen lassen tief,
(I can make prices fall deep,)
Oder Land, das einst ganz grade schlief.
(Or land that once slept straight.)
Manchmal fühl ich mich im Körper schlecht,
(Sometimes I feel bad in the body,)
Wenn ein Organ sich abwärts streckt.
(When an organ stretches downwards.)
Im Blut verrat' ich auch Gefahr,
(In blood, I also reveal danger,)
Bin ich zu hoch, ist's nicht mehr klar.
(If I am too high, it's no longer clear.)

Was bin ich, feminin und oft auf -ung?
(What am I, feminine and often ending in -ung?)
Ich bin die ...?
(I am die ...?)

Solution: die Senkung

✨ Other Information

Word Formation:

The word "Senkung" is derived from the verb senken (to lower something actively) with the suffix -ung, which typically denotes a process or its result and forms feminine nouns.

Trivia - Die Blutsenkung:

The measurement of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), often simply called "Blutsenkung" in German, is a non-specific inflammation test in medicine. An elevated sedimentation rate indicates possible inflammatory processes in the body but is not diagnostic for a specific disease on its own.