die
Trance
🌀 What exactly is 'die Trance'?
The word die Trance (noun, feminine) describes a special state of consciousness between wakefulness and sleep. It's a state of deep absorption, often associated with reduced perception of the outside world and increased susceptibility to suggestions (like in hypnosis) or inner experiences (like in meditation or ecstasy).
There is only this one article, die, for the word Trance. It always refers to this specific mental state.
⚠️ Be careful not to confuse 'Trance' with 'Chance' (chance, opportunity), although they might sound similar.
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 of 'die Trance' in Detail
The noun 'Trance' is feminine (weiblich). Here is its declension (Deklination):
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (subject) | die | Trance |
| Genitive (possessive) | der | Trance |
| Dative (indirect object) | der | Trance |
| Accusative (direct object) | die | Trance |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Trancen |
| Genitive | der | Trancen |
| Dative | den | Trancen |
| Accusative | die | Trancen |
Example Sentences 📝
- Der Hypnotiseur versetzte den Patienten in eine tiefe Trance. (The hypnotist put the patient into a deep trance.)
- In religiösen Zeremonien können Menschen durch Gesang und Tanz in Trance fallen. (In religious ceremonies, people can fall into a trance through singing and dancing.)
- Manche Musiker beschreiben einen Zustand der Trance, wenn sie völlig in ihrer Musik aufgehen. (Some musicians describe a state of trance when they become completely absorbed in their music.)
- Die verschiedenen Arten von Trancen werden in der Psychologie untersucht. (The different types of trances are studied in psychology.)
💬 How to use 'Trance'?
'Die Trance' is used to describe a state that deviates from normal waking consciousness. Typical contexts include:
- Hypnose (Hypnosis): People often speak of a hypnotische Trance.
- Meditation: Deep meditative states can be described as a Trance.
- Ekstase (Ecstasy): Religious or spiritual ecstasy often involves trance states.
- Musik/Tanz (Music/Dance): Especially with repetitive music (e.g., Trance-Musik) or intense dancing, a trance-like state can occur.
- Psychologie/Medizin (Psychology/Medicine): To describe certain consciousness phenomena or dissociative states.
The term is quite specific and not used excessively in everyday life, unless discussing the contexts mentioned above or the music genre 'Trance'.
🧠 Mnemonics for 'die Trance'
Article Mnemonic: Imagine die Queen falling into die Trance during a ceremony. Feminine like die Queen.
Meaning Mnemonic: Think of the English word "entrance" – being in a Trance is like entering a different state of mind, or being entranced.
🔄 Similar & Opposite: Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms (Similar Meaning):
- Die Hypnose: Hypnosis (often used with Trance, but specifically refers to the state induced by suggestion).
- Die Ekstase: Ecstasy (a state of intense joy or rapture, often linked to Trance).
- Die Versunkenheit: Absorption, reverie (a state of deep concentration or mental absence).
- Der Dämmerzustand: Twilight state (a state between waking and sleeping).
- Die Bewusstseinsveränderung: Altered state of consciousness (a more general term).
Antonyms (Opposite Meaning):
- Das Bewusstsein: Consciousness (the normal waking state).
- Die Wachheit: Wakefulness, alertness.
- Die Realität: Reality (the objective world, as opposed to the inner world of the Trance).
- Die Klarheit: Clarity (mental clarity and focus).
Watch out for confusion: Do not confuse with die Tranche (a portion or installment, e.g., of a loan).
😂 A Little Joke
Warum hat der DJ Angst vor Hühnern?
Why is the DJ afraid of chickens?
Weil sie ständig "Goa, Goa, Goa!" rufen und er in Trance fällt!
Because they constantly shout "Goa, Goa, Goa!" and he falls into a trance!
(Reference to Goa-Trance music)
🎶 A Little Poem
Die Welt verschwimmt, wird leise,
fern jeder laute Schall.
Auf sanfter innerer Reise,
beginnt der Trance ihr Fall.
Ein Schweben, leicht und sacht,
in tiefem Geist erwacht.
--- English Translation ---
The world blurs, becomes quiet,
far from every loud sound.
On a gentle inner journey,
the trance begins its fall.
A floating, light and soft,
awakened in the deep spirit.
🤔 Riddle Time
Ich bin kein Schlaf, doch auch nicht wach,
ein Zustand sonderbar und flach.
Musik und Tanz, sie rufen mich,
Hypnose braucht mich sicherlich.
Manchmal bin ich tief und fest,
ein anderer Geisteszustand-Test.
Was bin ich?
--- English Translation ---
I am not sleep, but not awake,
A state peculiar and plain.
Music and dance, they call to me,
Hypnosis surely needs me.
Sometimes I am deep and fast,
Another mental state test.
What am I?
Solution: die Trance
✨ Other Information
Word Origin: The word 'Trance' comes from the French word transe, which originally meant "passage", "anxiety", or "rapture". It derives from the Latin transire ("to go across").
Cultural Significance: Trance states play an important role in many cultures and religions, e.g., in shamanic journeys, Voodoo ceremonies, or Dervish dances.
Music Genre: There is also a popular electronic music genre called 'Trance', often characterized by repetitive melodies and rhythms intended to put listeners into an almost hypnotic state.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Trance?
The German word 'Trance' is always feminine. The correct article is die Trance. It describes a special state of consciousness between waking and sleeping.