die
Steigung
⛰️ What does "die Steigung" mean?
Die Steigung (noun, feminine) primarily describes the degree to which something rises or is inclined. It's the German word for slope, gradient, or incline. It can refer to various contexts:
- Terrain/Roads: The slope of a road, hill, or mountain (e.g., eine Steigung von 10% - a gradient of 10%).
- Mathematics/Physics: The slope of a function or line in a coordinate system (often denoted by 'm').
- Figurative: An increase or rise (e.g., die Steigung der Arbeitslosenzahlen - the rise in unemployment figures).
🚨 Important: The word is always feminine: die Steigung.
Article rules for der, die, and das
-ung → always feminine.
There are many -ung words, we won't list them all. There are only a few exceptions.
📐 Grammar in Detail: Die Steigung
The noun "Steigung" is feminine. Here are the declension tables:
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Steigung |
| Genitive | der | Steigung |
| Dative | der | Steigung |
| Accusative | die | Steigung |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Steigungen |
| Genitive | der | Steigungen |
| Dative | den | Steigungen |
| Accusative | die | Steigungen |
Example Sentences
- Diese Straße hat eine starke Steigung. (This road has a steep incline.)
- Die Steigung der Funktion an diesem Punkt ist positiv. (The slope of the function at this point is positive.)
- Wir mussten wegen der extremen Steigungen oft anhalten. (We often had to stop because of the extreme slopes.)
- Der Radfahrer kämpfte sich die Steigung hinauf. (The cyclist struggled up the incline.)
🚵♀️ How to use "Steigung"?
"Die Steigung" is often used in specific contexts:
- Traffic: For roads, paths, railway lines (e.g., "Vorsicht, starke Steigung!" - Caution, steep incline! on traffic signs). The gradient (Steigung) is often given in percent (%) or degrees (°).
- Mathematics/Sciences: In calculus to describe graphs of functions (e.g., "die Steigung der Tangente" - the slope of the tangent).
- Geography/Hiking: To describe terrain formations (e.g., "eine anspruchsvolle Steigung auf dem Wanderweg" - a challenging incline on the hiking trail).
- Economics/Statistics: Figuratively for increases or rises (e.g., "die Steigung der Kurve zeigt ein Wachstum" - the slope of the curve shows growth).
It can sometimes be confused with "Anstieg" (more general for increase) or "Neigung" (can also mean inclination in the sense of preference). "Gefälle" (decline, downward slope) is the opposite of a Steigung.
💡 Mnemonics for "die Steigung"
For the article (die): Think of "die" ending with 'ie', like in the English word steep. Also, German nouns ending in "-ung" like Steigung are almost always feminine (die).
For the meaning: The German verb "steigen" means to climb or to rise. A "Steigung" is what you encounter when you steigen up a hill.
🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms (similar meaning):
Similar words:
- Steigerung: (Increase, intensification) Refers more to an increase in intensity, values, or prices (e.g., Preissteigerung - price increase), not a physical slope.
😄 A little joke
German: Warum nehmen Mathematiker die Treppe statt des Lifts?
Weil sie die Steigung berechnen wollen!
English: Why do mathematicians take the stairs instead of the elevator?
Because they want to calculate the slope (die Steigung)!
📜 Poem about Steigung
German:
Der Weg zieht steil sich hin,
die Steigung fordert Sinn.
Ein Schritt nach dem nächsten Schritt,
bergauf, man nimmt sich Zeit mit.
Ob Straße, Kurve, Zahl,
die Steigung ist's, ganz klar, die Qual – oder das Ziel vor Augen schmal?
English Translation:
The path goes steeply on,
the slope demands reason drawn.
One step after the next step's pace,
uphill, one takes one's time and space.
Be it road, or curve, or number's call,
the slope it is, clear pain for all – or the narrow goal standing tall?
🤔 Little Riddle
German:
Ich hab' keinen Mund, doch sag' dir an,
wie steil der Berg, wie krumm die Bahn.
In Prozent oft ausgedrückt,
hab' Radler schon oft sehr bedrückt.
Was bin ich?
English Translation:
I have no mouth, but I can tell,
how steep the mountain, how the railway fell (or rose).
Often expressed in percent signs,
I've often troubled cyclists' minds.
What am I?
Solution: die Steigung (the slope/gradient)
🧩 Additional Information
Word Composition:
The word "Steigung" is derived from the verb "steigen" (to climb, rise, increase) and the suffix "-ung". This suffix is commonly used in German to form feminine nouns from verbs, often denoting a process or its result.
Technical Aspects:
In engineering and road construction, die Steigung (gradient) is often expressed as the ratio of vertical rise to horizontal distance (e.g., a 10m rise over a 100m horizontal distance = 10% gradient - eine Steigung von 10%).
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Steigung?
The German word Steigung is always feminine. The correct article is die Steigung. It means slope, gradient, or incline, referring to an upward slant like that of a road, hill, or mathematical graph.