die  Spalte

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/zɪ ˈʃpaltə/

📖 What does "die Spalte" mean?

Die Spalte (noun, feminine) has several meanings:

• 🔢 Column (in text or tables): A vertical arrangement of text or data, for example in a newspaper (Zeitungsspalte), a book, or a spreadsheet (Excel-Spalte).
• ⛰️ Crevice, crack, or cleft: A narrow, often deep opening or separation in a solid material, such as rock (Felsspalte), wood, or ice (Gletscherspalte).
• ↔️ Gap or interstice: A narrow open space between two things (e.g., Türspalte - gap in a door).

It's a feminine noun and always takes the article "die".

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar of "die Spalte" in Detail

"Die Spalte" is a feminine noun. Here is its declension:

💡 Example Sentences

1. (Text column) Bitte lies den Text in der rechten Spalte.
   (Please read the text in the right column.)
2. (Table column) Addiere die Zahlen in Spalte B.
   (Add the numbers in column B.)
3. (Crevice) Vorsicht, da ist eine tiefe Spalte im Felsen!
   (Careful, there's a deep crevice in the rock!)
4. (Gap) Die Tür schloss nicht richtig und ließ eine schmale Spalte offen.
   (The door didn't close properly and left a narrow gap open.)

✍️ How to use "die Spalte"?

• In the office & IT: Very common for spreadsheets (Excel-Spalte), databases, or text layouts (Zeitungsspalte - newspaper column). The opposite here is die Zeile (the row).
• In nature & geology: Describes natural formations like Gletscherspalten (glacial crevasses) or Felsspalten (rock crevices).
• In everyday life: Can also be used metaphorically for divisions or disagreements (though Kluft is often more common here) or for physical gaps (Türspalte - gap under/around a door).

Don't confuse die Spalte (vertical) with die Zeile (horizontal).

🧠 Mnemonics for "die Spalte"

Article Mnemonic: Think of femininE linES going down the pagE – that's diE SpaltE. (The 'e' ending is common for feminine nouns).

Meaning Mnemonic: Think of the English verb "to split". A Spalte splits the text vertically, or it's a split in the rock.

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

⚠️ Similar Words:

• Der Spalt: Also exists (masculine), but is less common than die Spalte. Often interchangeable, but *der Spalt* might imply a slightly smaller opening or slit.
• Spaltung: The act of splitting or the result (e.g., die Spaltung der Gesellschaft - the division of society).

😂 A Little Joke

Fragt der Chef den neuen Mitarbeiter: "Können Sie mit Excel umgehen?"
Mitarbeiter: "Ja klar!"
Chef: "Gut, dann machen Sie mal bitte das Fenster in Spalte F auf, es ist stickig hier!" 😄

(Boss asks the new employee: "Can you handle Excel?"
Employee: "Yes, of course!"
Boss: "Good, then please open the window in column F, it's stuffy in here!")

📜 Poem about "die Spalte"

Im Fels, so tief, die Spalte klafft,
Ein dunkler Riss, geheimniskraft.
Im Buch der Text, in Reih und Glied,
Die Spalte teilt, was sonst vermied. Ob Eis, ob Zahl, ob Wort, ob Stein,
Sie trennt und ordnet, fein und klein.

(In rock, so deep, the crevice gapes,
A dark crack, holding secret shapes.
In books the text, in rank and file,
The column parts, avoiding guile.
Be it ice, or number, word, or stone,
It separates and orders, finely honed.)

🤔 Riddle Time

Ich stehe senkrecht, nie allein,
In Tabellen oder im Gestein.
Ich teile auf, was breit sich zog,
Bin in der Zeitung, im Katalog.

Was bin ich? (Lösung: die Spalte)

(I stand vertically, never alone,
In tables or carved in stone.
I divide what spread out wide,
In the newspaper, or a catalogue guide.

What am I?
Answer: die Spalte / the column/crevice)

🧩 Other Information

• Word Origin: The word "Spalte" comes from the verb "spalten", meaning "to split" or "to divide". It has Old High German roots (spaltan).
• Compound Words (Komposita): There are many compound words with "Spalte", such as Gletscherspalte (glacial crevasse), Felsspalte (rock crevice), Zeitungsspalte (newspaper column), Tabellenspalte (table column), Türspalte (door gap), Meinungsspalte (opinion column).