die
Staatsbürgerschaft
📜 What does "die Staatsbürgerschaft" mean?
Die Staatsbürgerschaft means citizenship or nationality. It refers to the legal status of a person as a member of a particular state (Staat).
This status usually comes with specific rights (Rechte) and duties (Pflichten), such as the right to vote (Wahlrecht), consular protection abroad, but also obligations like paying taxes (Steuerpflicht) or potential military service (Wehrpflicht).
It's a key concept in international law (Völkerrecht) and the national law (nationales Recht) of every country. The conditions for acquiring (Erwerb) and losing (Verlust) citizenship are regulated by law (e.g., through birth, naturalization - Einbürgerung, marriage - Heirat).
The word is feminine, so the article is always die.
Article rules for der, die, and das
-ft/ -schaft → almost always feminine.
All -schaft nouns are feminine, but not all -ft nouns are.
📊 Grammar in Detail: die Staatsbürgerschaft
The noun "Staatsbürgerschaft" is feminine. The definite article is "die". It is mainly used in the singular.
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Subject) | die | Staatsbürgerschaft |
| Genitive (Possessive) | der | Staatsbürgerschaft |
| Dative (Indirect Object) | der | Staatsbürgerschaft |
| Accusative (Direct Object) | die | Staatsbürgerschaft |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Staatsbürgerschaften |
| Genitive | der | Staatsbürgerschaften |
| Dative | den | Staatsbürgerschaften |
| Accusative | die | Staatsbürgerschaften |
Note: The plural "Staatsbürgerschaften" is used infrequently, mostly when talking about the citizenships of different countries or cases of dual citizenship (doppelte Staatsbürgerschaft).
📝 Example Sentences
- Er hat die deutsche Staatsbürgerschaft beantragt.
(He applied for German citizenship.) - Die doppelte Staatsbürgerschaft ist in vielen Ländern erlaubt.
(Dual citizenship is permitted in many countries.) - Mit dem Erwerb der Staatsbürgerschaft gehen Rechte und Pflichten einher.
(Acquiring citizenship comes with rights and duties.) - Der Verlust der Staatsbürgerschaft kann unter bestimmten Umständen erfolgen.
(Loss of citizenship can occur under certain circumstances.)
🗣️ How to use "Staatsbürgerschaft"
"Staatsbürgerschaft" is a formal term used in legal and political contexts.
- Context: Used when discussing passports (Pässe), naturalization (Einbürgerung), expatriation (Ausbürgerung), international relations, citizens' rights, etc.
- Typical verbs: beantragen (to apply for), erhalten (to receive/obtain), besitzen (to possess/have), verlieren (to lose), annehmen (to accept), ablegen (to renounce).
- Difference from "Nationalität": While "Staatsbürgerschaft" describes the legal affiliation, "Nationalität" can also refer to ethnic or cultural identity. In everyday German, the terms are often used interchangeably. However, in a legal context, "Staatsbürgerschaft" is more precise. Example: A person of Kurdish nationality (ethnic/cultural) can possess German citizenship (legal) - Eine Person kurdischer Nationalität kann die deutsche Staatsbürgerschaft besitzen.
- Difference from "Staatsangehörigkeit": These two terms are largely synonymous and often used interchangeably. "Staatsbürgerschaft" sometimes emphasizes the civil rights and duties associated with belonging slightly more.
🧠 Memory Aids for Staatsbürgerschaft
Article Mnemonic: Many German nouns ending in "-schaft" are feminine (die Freundschaft - friendship, die Gesellschaft - society, die Landschaft - landscape). So remember: die Staatschaft... er... Bürgerschaft... right, die Staatsbürgerschaft!
Meaning Mnemonic: Think of the "Staat" (state) bringing its "Bürger" (citizens) into a community or partner-"schaft" (ship). This membership is the Staatsbürgerschaft (citizenship).
🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
- die Staatsangehörigkeit: Very similar, often interchangeable. Emphasizes belonging to the state.
- die Nationalität: Often used synonymously, but can also mean ethnic/cultural identity (see Usage section).
- die Bürgerschaft: Can be synonymous, but sometimes refers more generally to the citizenry as a whole.
- die Zugehörigkeit (zu einem Staat): A more general description, meaning 'belonging (to a state)'.
Antonyms:
- die Staatenlosigkeit: Statelessness; the condition of having no citizenship.
- die Ausländereigenschaft / das Ausländersein: The status of being a foreigner; not having the citizenship of the country one is in.
- die Fremdheit: Foreignness; a general term for not belonging.
⚠️ Watch out for confusion:
- die Bürgschaft: This sounds similar but means something completely different: 'guarantee', 'surety', or 'bail' (a financial term).
😄 A Little Joke
Der Beamte fragt den Antragsteller: "Sind Sie sicher, dass Sie die deutsche Staatsbürgerschaft wollen? Das Wetter ist nicht immer gut."
Antwortet der Antragsteller: "Kein Problem, ich habe auch die britische Staatsbürgerschaft beantragt – wegen des Wetters bin ich also flexibel!"
Translation:
The official asks the applicant: "Are you sure you want German citizenship? The weather isn't always great."
The applicant replies: "No problem, I've also applied for British citizenship – so I'm flexible when it comes to the weather!"
✒️ Poem about Citizenship
Ein Band, das rechtlich uns vereint,
Vom Staat gegeben, wohl gemeint.
Mal durch Geburt, mal durch den Akt,
Der uns zum Bürger schließlich macht.
Mit Pass und Wahlrecht in der Hand,
Teil von Kultur und diesem Land.
Ein Status, der uns Schutz verspricht,
Die Staatsbürgerschaft – ein wichtig Licht.
Translation:
A bond that legally unites us,
Given by the state, well-intentioned.
Sometimes by birth, sometimes by the act,
That finally makes us a citizen.
With passport and voting rights in hand,
Part of culture and this land.
A status that promises us protection,
Citizenship – an important light.
🧩 Little Riddle
Ich bin ein Recht, doch auch 'ne Pflicht,
Man sieht mich meist im Passgesicht.
Ich sag', zu welchem Staat du zählst,
Und manchmal doppelt man mich wählt.
Was bin ich?
Translation:
I am a right, but also a duty,
You usually see me on a passport's face.
I tell which state you belong to,
And sometimes people choose me twice.
What am I?
(Answer: die Staatsbürgerschaft / citizenship)
💡 More Information
Word Composition (Wortzusammensetzung):
The word "Staatsbürgerschaft" is a compound noun, made up of three parts:
- Staat: Refers to the political entity, the country/state.
- Bürger: Means a citizen belonging to that state.
- -schaft: A suffix often indicating a state, condition, relationship, or collective (like in Freundschaft - friendship, Gesellschaft - society). Here, it expresses the status or the collection of rights/duties of a citizen.
Trivia:
- The concept of citizenship has evolved over centuries, from belonging to a city (ancient Greece/Rome) to the modern idea tied to nation-states.
- Rules for acquiring citizenship vary significantly worldwide (e.g., ius sanguinis – right of blood, based on descent vs. ius soli – right of soil, based on place of birth).
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Staatsbürgerschaft?
The noun "Staatsbürgerschaft" is feminine. The correct article is die. So it's always die Staatsbürgerschaft.