die
Tour
🗺️ What does “die Tour” mean?
The word die Tour (noun, feminine) has several meanings, often related to a journey, movement, or a sequence of events:
- Trip or excursion: A planned journey or outing, often for tourist purposes or exploration. Example: Wir machen am Wochenende eine Tour durch die Altstadt. (We are going on a tour through the old town this weekend.)
- Sporting event: Especially in cycling, it refers to a stage race over a longer distance. Example: Die Tour de France ist das berühmteste Radrennen der Welt. (The Tour de France is the most famous cycling race in the world.)
- Artistic performance series: A series of performances by an artist or group in different locations (concert tour, theatre tour). Example: Die Band ist gerade auf Tour durch Europa. (The band is currently on tour through Europe.)
- Colloquial for effort/hassle: Sometimes „Tour“ is used colloquially to describe a strenuous or complicated matter. Example: Das war vielleicht eine Tour, die Möbel in den fünften Stock zu tragen! (That was quite a hassle, carrying the furniture up to the fifth floor!) ⚠️ This meaning is rather informal.
Article rules for der, die, and das
-ur/-ür → mostly feminine.
Caution: -eur nouns are usually masculine (e.g. der Ingenieur).
📐 Grammar of “die Tour” in Detail
“Tour” is a feminine noun. The article is die.
| Case | Definite Article | Indefinite Article |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die Tour | eine Tour |
| Genitive | der Tour | einer Tour |
| Dative | der Tour | einer Tour |
| Accusative | die Tour | eine Tour |
| Case | Definite Article | Indefinite Article |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die Touren | - Touren |
| Genitive | der Touren | - Touren |
| Dative | den Touren | - Touren |
| Accusative | die Touren | - Touren |
💡 Example Sentences
- Nominative: Die Tour durch die Alpen war wunderschön. (The tour through the Alps was beautiful.)
- Genitive: Die Planung der Tour dauerte mehrere Wochen. (The planning of the tour took several weeks.)
- Dative: Wir schlossen uns der Tour spontan an. (We spontaneously joined the tour.)
- Accusative: Sie organisieren eine Tour für die neuen Mitarbeiter. (They are organizing a tour for the new employees.)
- Plural: Die Band plant mehrere Touren für das nächste Jahr. (The band is planning several tours for next year.)
🚶♀️ When to use “die Tour”?
“Die Tour” is used in various contexts:
- Travel & Leisure: Often for planned excursions, round trips, or longer journeys (e.g., Radtour - bike tour, Bergtour - mountain tour, Stadtführungstour - city guide tour). It often implies a specific route or program.
- Sports: Primarily for stage races like the Tour de France or the Deutschland Tour.
- Arts & Culture: For guest performance tours or concert series by artists (Welttournee - world tour, Konzerttour - concert tour).
- Colloquial Speech: Describes a difficult, laborious action or task („Das war eine harte Tour!“ - “That was a tough job/hassle!”).
Distinction from similar words:
- Die Reise: (The journey/trip) More general term for travel over a longer distance, often involving change of location and overnight stays. A Tour can be part of a Reise.
- Der Ausflug: (The outing/excursion) Usually a shorter trip or hike for recreation, often just for a day. A Tour can be a specific type of Ausflug.
- Die Fahrt: (The drive/ride/journey) Refers more to the movement from A to B, often with a vehicle. Less focused on the experience or route than Tour.
🧠 Mnemonics for “die Tour”
- Article Mnemonic: Many words borrowed from French ending in -our are feminine in German. Think of an elegant French lady (feminine) going on a city tour. Or: A Tour often requires endurance -> die Tour (feminine ending -e matches die).
- Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine a tourist taking a tour through a city. The English word “tourist” derives directly from “tour”, making the connection easy.
↔️ Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms (Similar Words):
- For trip/excursion: Reise (trip, journey), Ausflug (outing, excursion), Rundfahrt (round trip by vehicle), Rundgang (walking tour), Exkursion (excursion), Spritztour (joyride), Fahrt (ride, drive)
- For artistic performance series: Tournee (tour), Gastspielreise (guest performance tour), Konzertreise (concert tour)
- For sporting event: Rundfahrt (circuit race), Rennen (race - context-dependent)
- For effort (coll.): Anstrengung (effort), Mühe (trouble, effort), Strapaze (hardship), Aufwand (effort, expense)
Antonyms (Opposites):
- For trip/excursion: Stubenhocken (staying indoors, being a homebody), Daheimbleiben (staying at home), Stillstand (standstill), Aufenthalt (stay, residence in one place)
- For effort: Leichtigkeit (ease), Kinderspiel (child's play)
⚠️ Similar, but different words:
😄 A Little Joke
Warum nehmen Skelette keine Stadtführungstour mit?
Weil sie keinen „Körper“ haben, dem sie folgen könnten! 😉
(Why don't skeletons take guided city tours? Because they have no “body” to follow!)
✍️ Poem about a Tour
Die Tasche gepackt, die Laune ist gut,
Es startet die Tour mit frischem Mut.
Durch Städte und Länder, bergauf und bergab,
Ein Abenteuer, flott im Trab.
Ob Radtour, Konzert oder durchs Museum,
Die Tour macht das Leben niemals bequem,
Doch voller Erlebnisse, bunt und fein,
So soll eine schöne Tour immer sein!
(The bag is packed, the mood is good,
The tour begins with fresh fortitude.
Through cities and countries, uphill and down,
A swift adventure all over town.
Be it bike tour, concert, or museum hall,
The tour never makes life dull at all,
But full of experiences, colorful and fine,
That's how a lovely tour should always shine!)
❓ Riddle Time
Ich führe dich rum, mal nah, mal fern,
Hab oft Etappen, das lernst du gern.
Musiker machen mich durch das Land,
Auch Radler kennen mich, Hand in Hand.
Ich bin feminin, das ist doch klar,
Was bin ich? Na los, sei schlau fürwahr!
(I lead you around, sometimes near, sometimes far,
Often have stages, which you learn with a star.
Musicians do me across the land,
Cyclists know me too, hand in hand.
I am feminine, that much is clear,
What am I? Come on, be smart, my dear!)
Solution: die Tour
ℹ️ Trivia about die Tour
- Origin: The word “Tour” comes from French (le tour means “the round”, “the turn”, “the trip”).
- Word Compounds: “Tour” is part of many compound words that specify the type of tour: Radtour (bike tour), Bergtour (mountain tour), Stadtrundtour (city tour), Shoppingtour (shopping trip), Kneipentour (pub crawl), Welttour (world tour), Abschiedstour (farewell tour).
- Cultural Significance: The Tour de France, in particular, holds enormous cultural and sporting significance far beyond France.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Tour?
The word "Tour" is feminine, so the correct article is die Tour. It usually refers to a trip, an excursion, a sporting race (like Tour de France), or a concert tour.