die  Untersuchung

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ʊntɐˈzʊxʊŋ/

🧐 What Exactly is an 'Untersuchung'?

Die Untersuchung (feminine) is a German noun referring to the process of closely examining, analyzing, or researching something. It has several main contexts:

• Medical context: A doctor's examination of the body or a part of it to determine health status (e.g., eine Blutuntersuchung - a blood test, eine Röntgenuntersuchung - an X-ray examination).
• Scientific context: A systematic investigation or study to gain knowledge or test a hypothesis (e.g., eine wissenschaftliche Untersuchung - a scientific investigation about climate change).
• Investigative context: An official inquiry, often by authorities like the police or a commission, to clarify facts about an incident or crime (e.g., eine polizeiliche Untersuchung - a police investigation).
• General context: Any kind of detailed examination or analysis (e.g., eine Untersuchung der Marktlage - an examination of the market situation).

🚨 Since the word ends in -ung, it's grammatically always feminine (die Untersuchung).

Article rules for der, die, and das

📝 Grammar: 'Die Untersuchung' in Detail

The noun "Untersuchung" is feminine. Here is its declension:

Example Sentences

1. Die ärztliche Untersuchung ergab keine Auffälligkeiten.
   (The medical examination revealed no abnormalities.)
2. Die Polizei leitete eine gründliche Untersuchung des Falls ein.
   (The police initiated a thorough investigation of the case.)
3. Die Ergebnisse der wissenschaftlichen Untersuchung werden bald veröffentlicht.
   (The results of the scientific investigation will be published soon.)
4. Viele Untersuchungen sind notwendig, um die Ursache zu finden.
   (Many investigations/examinations are necessary to find the cause.)

💡 How is 'Untersuchung' Used?

The use of "Untersuchung" heavily depends on the context:

• In the hospital or at the doctor's office: You talk about a medizinische Untersuchung (medical examination), a Vorsorgeuntersuchung (preventive check-up), or specific tests like Blutuntersuchung (blood test), Ultraschalluntersuchung (ultrasound examination).
• With the police or in court: It refers to polizeiliche Ermittlungen (police investigations) or a gerichtliche Untersuchung (judicial inquiry), often also an Untersuchungsausschuss (committee of inquiry) in politics.
• In science: One conducts a wissenschaftliche Untersuchung (scientific investigation), a Studie (study), or Forschung (research).
• In business: A Marktuntersuchung analyzes the market.

Comparison: While "Prüfung" often implies an evaluation or test (e.g., an Examensprüfung - final exam), "Untersuchung" focuses on detailed exploration, analysis, or determination of facts or conditions.

🧠 Mnemonics for 'Untersuchung'

Article Mnemonic: Words ending in -ung are almost always feminine in German. Think of: Die Prüfung (the exam), die Meinung (the opinion), die Untersuchung. The ending "-ung" sounds somewhat soft – like the feminine article die.

Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine you are 'searching' (suchen) for something 'under' (unter) the surface – you are conducting a thorough Unter-suchung, whether at the doctor's, police station, or in a lab.

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

⚠️ Be careful with "Befragung": This means 'questioning' or 'interrogation' and is only part of an investigation (Ermittlung), not the same thing.

😄 A Little Joke

Fragt der Arzt den Patienten nach der Untersuchung: "Haben Sie irgendwelche Fragen?"
Patient: "Ja, Doktor. Ist das Ergebnis so schlecht, dass Sie es mir nur vorsingen können?"

--- Translation ---

After the examination, the doctor asks the patient: "Do you have any questions?"
Patient: "Yes, Doctor. Are the results so bad that you can only sing them to me?"

📜 A Poem about Investigation

Die Wahrheit tief verborgen liegt,
ein Rätsel, das zum Suchen biegt.
Mit Lupe, Stift und wachem Sinn,
beginnt die Untersuchung drin.
Stein auf Stein wird umgedreht,
bis Klarheit endlich entsteht.

--- Translation ---

The truth lies hidden deep inside,
A puzzle that turns searching wide.
With lens, pen, and alert mind,
The investigation starts to unwind.
Stone upon stone is overturned,
Until clarity is finally learned.

🧩 Riddle Time

Ich suche nach dem Grund der Dinge,
ob Krankheit, Fall, ob's wohl gelinge?
Mal bin ich kurz, mal dauer' ich lang,
beim Arzt, im Labor, beim Polizeigesang.
Was bin ich?

--- Translation ---

I search for the reason of things,
Be it illness, case, or the success it brings?
Sometimes I'm short, sometimes I last long,
At the doctor's, in the lab, in the police's song.
What am I?

Solution: die Untersuchung (the investigation/examination)

✨ Other Interesting Facts

Word Composition:

The word "Untersuchung" is composed of:

• The preposition/prefix "unter-" (here meaning 'thoroughly', 'among', 'under')
• The verb "suchen" (to search, to seek)
• The suffix "-ung", which nominalizes the verb and makes it feminine.

So, it literally describes the act of thorough searching or investigating.