die
Tiefgarage
🚗 What Exactly is a Tiefgarage?
A Tiefgarage (feminine, article: die) is an underground parking garage or a part of a building located below ground level, used for parking motor vehicles. It's often found in city centers, underneath residential buildings, office buildings, or shopping malls where surface space is limited.
The term is composed of "tief" (deep/underground) and "Garage" (garage). Since "Garage" is feminine (die Garage), "Tiefgarage" is also feminine.
⚠️ There are no other articles for this word; it is always die Tiefgarage.
Article rules for der, die, and das
-e/-ee → almost always feminine.
There are many -e nouns, many of which are feminine, but there are also some important exceptions.
📊 Grammar Spotlight: Declension of die Tiefgarage
The noun "Tiefgarage" is feminine. Here are the declension tables:
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Tiefgarage |
| Genitive | der | Tiefgarage |
| Dative | der | Tiefgarage |
| Accusative | die | Tiefgarage |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Tiefgaragen |
| Genitive | der | Tiefgaragen |
| Dative | den | Tiefgaragen |
| Accusative | die | Tiefgaragen |
💡 Example Sentences
- Ich parke mein Auto immer in der Tiefgarage unter dem Büro.
(I always park my car in the underground garage below the office.) - Die Einfahrt zu der Tiefgarage ist sehr eng.
(The entrance to the underground garage is very narrow.) - Wir suchen eine Wohnung mit Zugang zu einer Tiefgarage.
(We are looking for an apartment with access to an underground garage.) - Die Tiefgaragen in der Innenstadt sind oft voll.
(The underground garages in the city center are often full.) - Die Kosten für das Parken in den Tiefgaragen sind gestiegen.
(The costs for parking in the underground garages have increased.)
🏢 When and Where to Use "Tiefgarage"?
The term "Tiefgarage" is used specifically to refer to parking facilities that are located underground. This distinguishes them from:
- Parkhaus: Can also be above ground, often multi-story. A Tiefgarage is a specific type of Parkhaus.
- Parkplatz: An outdoor parking lot at ground level.
- Garage: Can also be a single garage next to a house or located above ground.
Typical contexts include:
- Real estate listings (apartment with Tiefgaragenstellplatz - underground parking space)
- Urban planning and traffic guidance systems (signs pointing to Tiefgaragen)
- Descriptions of shopping malls, airports, or large building complexes
- Everyday situations when parking in the city
🧠 Memory Aids
Article Mnemonic: Think of a regular Garage. In German, it's die Garage. A Tiefgarage is just a garage that's deep underground. Both are feminine: die Garage -> die Tiefgarage.
Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine driving tief (deep) under the ground to park your car in a Garage. Tief + Garage = Tiefgarage (underground garage).
🔄 Similar and Different: Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms (Similar Meaning):
- Untergeschossgarage: Very similar, emphasizes the location in the basement/lower floor.
- Parkkeller: More colloquial, emphasizes the cellar-like character.
- (Unterirdisches) Parkhaus: More general term (underground parking structure) that includes Tiefgaragen.
Antonyms (Opposite Meaning):
- Parkplatz (im Freien): Outdoor parking lot.
- Hochgarage: Parking garage built above ground level.
- Parkdeck: Often the top, open level of a parking structure.
🚨 Be careful with Parkhaus: Not every Parkhaus is a Tiefgarage, but every Tiefgarage can be considered a type of Parkhaus.
😄 A Little Chuckle
DE: Warum nehmen Skelette nie den Aufzug in der Tiefgarage?
Weil sie keine Eingeweide (Mut) dazu haben, den Knopf zu drücken! 😉
EN: Why do skeletons never take the elevator in the underground garage?
Because they don't have the guts to push the button! 😉 (Okay, it's cheesy, but it involves an underground garage... sort of.)
📜 Poem about the Deep Garage
DE:
Runter geht die Fahrt ins Dunkel,
Wo Beton die Wände schmückt.
Kein Sonnenstrahl, kein Sterngefunkel,
Hier wird das Auto eingeparkt, entrückt.
Die Neonröhren summen leise,
Ein Platz für Blech auf kalter Reise.
Man steigt aus, schließt ab, geht seiner Wege,
Aus der Tiefgarage, ohne Säge.
EN:
Down goes the drive into the dark,
Where concrete walls adorn the mark.
No ray of sun, no starry sparkle,
Here the car is parked, quite stark.
The neon tubes hum soft and low,
A place for steel on a cold journey's flow.
One steps out, locks up, goes on their ways,
From the underground garage, through hazy days.
❓ Who or What Am I?
DE:
Ich liege tief, doch bin kein Grab,
Autos ruhen in mir ab.
Ob Regen, Schnee, ob Sonnenschein,
Bei mir sind sie geschützt und fein.
Man fährt hinab, das Licht wird künstlich,
Mein Name klingt fast unterirdisch.
Wer bin ich?
(... Die Tiefgarage)
EN:
I lie deep, but am no grave,
Cars rest within me, safe and brave.
Whether rain, snow, or sunshine bright,
Inside me, they're protected right.
You drive down, the light turns fake,
My name sounds almost subterranean, for goodness sake.
What am I?
(... The Tiefgarage / Underground parking garage)
ℹ️ Interesting Facts about the Tiefgarage
Word Composition:
The word "Tiefgarage" is a compound noun, composed of:
- tief (adjective): describes the location below ground.
- die Garage (noun, feminine): place for parking vehicles.
The grammatical gender is determined by the base word "Garage", hence die Tiefgarage.
Pros and Cons:
- Pros: Protection from weather, theft, and vandalism; space-saving in densely built-up areas.
- Cons: Often higher costs (construction and usage); require ventilation and lighting systems; can feel confusing or unsafe if poorly designed.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Tiefgarage?
The word "Tiefgarage" is always feminine. The correct article is die Tiefgarage.