die  Tugend

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈtuːɡɛnt/

🤔 What does "die Tugend" mean?

Die Tugend (noun, feminine) refers to moral excellence, a virtue, or a positive character trait of a person. It signifies ethically valuable action and commendable personal qualities. Virtues are often considered desirable ideals that foster social harmony and contribute to personal perfection.

Unlike some German words with multiple articles, Tugend always takes the feminine article: always "die". There are no different meanings associated with different articles.

• Main meaning: Moral value, ethical perfection, positive character trait (e.g., honesty, justice, courage).
• Less common meaning (archaic): Efficacy, power (e.g., die Tugend einer Heilpflanze - the virtue/efficacy of a medicinal plant - rarely used today).

🚨 Be careful not to confuse "Tugend" (virtue) with "Untugend" (vice, bad trait).

🧐 Grammar of "die Tugend" in Detail

The word "Tugend" is a feminine noun. The article is always die.

Example Sentences 📝

1. Gerechtigkeit ist eine wichtige Tugend.
   Justice is an important virtue.
2. Er lobte die Tugenden seiner Vorfahren.
   He praised the virtues of his ancestors.
3. Sie machte aus der Not eine Tugend. (Idiom)
   She made a virtue of necessity. (Turning a bad situation to one's advantage)
4. Die Philosophie beschäftigt sich oft mit dem Wesen der Tugend.
   Philosophy often deals with the nature of virtue.
5. Fleiß und Bescheidenheit gelten als bürgerliche Tugenden.
   Diligence and modesty are considered bourgeois virtues.

🗣️ How is "die Tugend" used?

"Die Tugend" is mainly used in contexts dealing with morality, ethics, character, and personal values.

• Philosophy & Religion: Discussing ethical principles, cardinal virtues (Kardinaltugenden: prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance), theological virtues (theologische Tugenden: faith, hope, charity/love).
• Character Description: To highlight positive traits of a person (e.g., „Seine größte Tugend ist die Geduld.“ – His greatest virtue is patience.).
• Historical Context: In texts about past eras where ideals of virtue often played a central role (e.g., chivalric virtues, bourgeois virtues - Rittertugenden, bürgerliche Tugenden).
• Everyday Language (sometimes slightly elevated/old-fashioned): While the word is understood, it can sound a bit formal or dated. People might more commonly say „Das ist eine gute Eigenschaft“ (That's a good quality) instead of „Das ist eine Tugend“.
• Idioms: "Aus der Not eine Tugend machen" (to make a virtue of necessity) is a very common phrase.

Compared to "Moral" (the entire system of moral norms) or "Ethik" (the philosophical study of morality), "Tugend" specifically refers to a single positive character trait or a corresponding way of acting.

🧠 Mnemonics for "die Tugend"

Article Mnemonic (die): Remember that many abstract German nouns describing qualities and ending in -d are feminine (like die Geduld - patience, die Schuld - guilt). Alternatively, picture a virtuous person, perhaps a queen or a wise woman – it's die Frau (the woman), die Königin (the queen), so it's die Tugend.

Meaning Mnemonic: "Tugend" sounds a bit like the English phrase "do good". A Tugend (virtue) is something that makes you do good things or be good yourself.

↔️ Synonyms & Antonyms for "die Tugend"

⚠️ Caution: Words like "Fertigkeit" (skill) or "Talent" (talent) refer to abilities, not moral qualities, and are therefore not synonyms for Tugend.

😄 A Little Joke

German: Warum prahlt der Geizhals nicht mit seiner Tugend?
Weil Sparsamkeit die einzige ist, die ihn etwas kostet! 😄

English: Why doesn't the miser brag about his virtue?
Because thriftiness is the only one that costs him something! 😄

📜 A Poem about Virtue

German:
Die Tugend, hell und klar,
Ein Kompass wunderbar.
Sie leitet uns geschwind,
Wo wahre Werte sind.
Nicht Gold, nicht Glanz, nicht Macht,
Hat ihren Wert erdacht.
Im Herzen tief verweilt,
Was gute Seelen heilt.

English Translation:
Virtue, shining bright and clear,
A wondrous compass, always near.
It guides us swiftly on our way,
Where true values hold their sway.
Not gold, nor gleam, nor might,
Conceived its value, pure and right.
Deep in the heart, it stays,
Healing good souls in gentle ways.

🧩 Riddle Time

German:
Ich bin ein hohes Gut, doch unsichtbar,
Mache Menschen edel, stark und wahr.
Man strebt nach mir in Wort und Tat,
Bin Laster's Feind, ein guter Rat.
Was bin ich?

Lösung: die Tugend

English Translation:
I am a high ideal, but cannot be seen,
I make people noble, strong, and keen.
They strive for me in word and deed,
I am vice's foe, a worthy creed.
What am I?

Solution: Virtue (Die Tugend)

💡 Other Information

• Cardinal Virtues (Kardinaltugenden): In ancient philosophy and Christian theology, the four cardinal virtues are central: prudence (Klugheit), justice (Gerechtigkeit), fortitude/courage (Tapferkeit), and temperance/moderation (Mäßigung).
• Theological Virtues (Theologische Tugenden): Faith (Glaube), hope (Hoffnung), and charity/love (Liebe - often considered the highest virtue).
• Bourgeois Virtues (Bürgerliche Tugenden): Virtues highly regarded by the middle class during the Enlightenment and the 19th century, such as diligence (Fleiß), thrift (Sparsamkeit), orderliness (Ordnungsliebe), punctuality (Pünktlichkeit).
• Word Formation: The adjective is "tugendhaft" (virtuous). The opposite is "lasterhaft" (vicious) or "untugendhaft" (unvirtuous).