die
Tänzerin
💃 What exactly is a Tänzerin?
The word die Tänzerin refers to a female person who dances. This can be professional (e.g., as a Balletttänzerin or professional competition dancer) or as a hobby.
It is the feminine form of the word der Tänzer (male dancer).
🚨 Attention: Like many feminine job titles or descriptions of people in German, it is formed with the suffix -in and takes the article die.
Article rules for der, die, and das
Women → almost always feminine.
Caution: Most professions also have their feminine forms (e.g. die Polizistin). Some words can also have two forms: der/die Deutsche, der/die Kranke.
-in → mostly feminine.
All persons and professions ending in -in are feminine. Other -in nouns can be der/die/das.
🧐 Grammar Deep Dive: Die Tänzerin in Sentences
The noun "Tänzerin" is feminine. The article is die.
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Tänzerin |
| Genitive | der | Tänzerin |
| Dative | der | Tänzerin |
| Accusative | die | Tänzerin |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Tänzerinnen |
| Genitive | der | Tänzerinnen |
| Dative | den | Tänzerinnen |
| Accusative | die | Tänzerinnen |
Example Sentences:
- Die junge Tänzerin träumt von einer Karriere am Theater.
(The young female dancer dreams of a career at the theatre.) - Wir applaudierten der talentierten Tänzerin nach ihrer Vorstellung.
(We applauded the talented female dancer after her performance.) - Das Kostüm der Tänzerin glitzerte im Scheinwerferlicht.
(The female dancer's costume sparkled in the spotlight.) - Auf dem Ball gab es viele elegante Tänzerinnen.
(There were many elegant female dancers at the ball.)
🎭 How to Use "Tänzerin"?
The term die Tänzerin is used to describe a woman or girl who dances. The context can vary widely:
- Professional: A Primaballerina is an outstanding female dancer in ballet. A professionelle Tänzerin (professional female dancer) might perform in musicals, shows, or dance companies.
- Hobby/Leisure: Many women dance as a hobby, e.g., ballroom dance (Standardtanz), salsa, or hip-hop. They are also Tänzerinnen.
- Sports: In competitive dancing (Tanzsport, e.g., ballroom competitions), there are also Tänzerinnen.
Compared to der Tänzer (male dancer), die Tänzerin specifically denotes the female gender. In modern contexts, gender-neutral formulations like Tanzende (dancing people/person) are sometimes attempted, but Tänzerin remains the established and most common form for female individuals.
🧠 Memory Aids for Tänzerin
For the article 'die': The ending -in is (almost always) a signal for feminine nouns in German. Think of: die Königin (queen), die Lehrerin (female teacher), die Freundin (female friend)... and also die Tänzerin. She is in the dancing mood!
For the meaning: Picture an elegant woman dancing (tanzen) to music. She moves gracefully – she is a Tänzerin.
🔄 Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms (Similar Meaning):
- Ballerina: (specifically for classical ballet)
- Tanzkünstlerin: (emphasizes the artistic aspect, female dance artist)
- Revuetänzerin/Showtänzerin: (specifically for shows/revues)
- Solotänzerin: (dances alone, female solo dancer)
Antonyms (Opposites):
- Nichttänzerin: (a woman who doesn't dance - more descriptive than a direct antonym)
- Der Tänzer: (the male counterpart, not a direct antonym in the sense of opposite meaning)
Watch out for Confusion:
Sometimes more general terms like Künstlerin (female artist) or Sportlerin (female athlete) are used, but they don't specifically refer to dancing.
😂 A Little Dance Joke
Fragt die Tanzlehrerin die neue Schülerin: "Haben Sie Taktgefühl?"
Antwortet die Schülerin: "Nein, aber ich habe Rhythmus im Blut! Nur leider nicht in den Füßen."
Translation:
The dance teacher asks the new student: "Do you have a sense of rhythm/timing?"
The student replies: "No, but I have rhythm in my blood! Just unfortunately not in my feet."
🎼 A Poem About the Tänzerin
Die Tänzerin
Im Lichtkreis dreht sie sich geschwind,
die Tänzerin, getragen vom Wind
der Melodie, so leicht und frei,
vergisst die Welt, ist nur dabei.
Ein Lächeln, eine Pirouette,
auf zartem Fuß, im Tanzkorsette.
Ihr Herz schlägt Rhythmus, pur und klar,
eine Künstlerin, wunderbar.
Translation:
The Female Dancer
In the circle of light, she turns swiftly,
the female dancer, carried by the wind
of the melody, so light and free,
forgets the world, just present is she.
A smile, a pirouette,
on delicate foot, in dance corset.
Her heart beats rhythm, pure and clear,
an artist, wonderful, dear.
❓ Riddle Time
Ich bewege mich zur Musik, oft auf Zehenspitzen fein.
Mal im Ballett, mal wild im Club, kann ich die Schönste sein.
Ich trage Tutu oder Kleid, mein Partner ist der Tänzer.
Ich bin die weibliche Gestalt – wer bin ich, sag es schlauer?
Translation:
I move to music, often finely on tiptoes.
Sometimes in ballet, sometimes wild in the club, I can be the most beautiful.
I wear a tutu or a dress, my partner is the male dancer (der Tänzer).
I am the female figure – who am I, tell me cleverly?
Solution: die Tänzerin (the female dancer)
💡 Other Interesting Facts
Word Formation (Wortbildung):
The word "Tänzerin" is composed of:
- The stem of the verb "tanzen" (to dance) or the noun "Tanz" (dance)
- The suffix "-er", which denotes a person performing an action (like in "Lehrer" from "lehren" - teacher from to teach) -> Tänzer (male dancer)
- The feminine suffix "-in" -> Tänzerin (female dancer)
Famous Dancers (Bekannte Tänzerinnen):
Famous German-speaking female dancers include or included Pina Bausch (modern dance choreographer and dancer) and Mary Wigman (expressionist dance).
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Tänzerin?
The correct article for the word Tänzerin is die. It is a feminine noun (referring to a female person), indicated by the common feminine ending -in. Example: Die Tänzerin verbeugt sich. (The female dancer takes a bow.)