die  Wache

B1

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈvaxə/

🧐 What exactly does "die Wache" mean?

The word die Wache (feminine) has several meanings in German:

• 💂 The act of watching/guarding: This refers to the act of paying attention, observing, or protecting. Example: "Er hielt die ganze Nacht Wache." (He kept watch all night.)
• 👮 The person(s) keeping watch (the guard): One or more people whose job it is to watch. Example: "Die Wache am Tor ließ niemanden passieren." (The guard at the gate let nobody pass.) (This can refer to an individual or a group).
• 🏢 The place where the watch is kept or where the guard team stays: This can be a guardhouse, a guard post, a police station, or a fire station. Example: "Der Verdächtige wurde zur Wache gebracht." (The suspect was taken to the station.) (often synonymous with Polizeiwache - police station).

🚨 Attention: Although "die Wache" can also refer to the person(s), the terms "der Wachmann" (male guard) or "die Wachfrau" (female guard) are often used for a single person, especially in a civilian context.

Article rules for der, die, and das

📊 Grammar of "die Wache" in Detail

"Wache" is a feminine noun. It is declined as follows:

Example Sentences for Grammar

1. Die Wache schläft nicht. (The guard doesn't sleep.)
2. Das ist die Aufgabe der Wache. (That is the task of the guard.)
3. Ich gebe der Wache Bescheid. (I'll inform the guard.)
4. Siehst du die Wache dort drüben? (Do you see the guard over there?)
5. Die Wachen wechseln sich ab. (The guards take turns.)
6. Die Sicherheit der Wachen ist wichtig. (The safety of the guards is important.)
7. Er sprach mit den Wachen. (He spoke with the guards.)
8. Der Kommandant inspizierte die Wachen. (The commander inspected the guards.)

💡 How is "die Wache" used?

The usage of "die Wache" depends on the context:

• Military/Security: Here, "die Wache" often refers to both the activity ("Wache schieben" - to be on guard duty) and the unit or post ("die Torwache" - the gate guard, "auf Wache sein" - to be on duty).
• Police/Authorities: "Die Wache" is frequently used as a synonym for the police station or office ("Ich gehe zur Wache." - I'm going to the station., "Die Hauptwache befindet sich im Stadtzentrum." - The main station is located in the city center.).
• Fire Department: Similar to the police, "die Wache" can refer to the fire station ("Die Feuerwache rückte aus." - The fire station responded/set out.).
• General: Figuratively, it can also mean simply attentive observation ("Er stand Wache am Krankenbett." - He kept watch at the sickbed.).

Common Phrases:

• Wache halten/schieben: to keep watch / be on guard duty.
• auf Wache sein/stehen: to be on guard duty.
• jemanden zur Wache bringen: to take someone (often a suspect) to the police station.

Compared to "der Posten" (specific post/location) or "die Aufsicht" (supervision, more about overseeing processes), "die Wache" often emphasizes the aspect of protection or readiness.

🧠 Mnemonics for "die Wache"

Article Mnemonic: Think of divers watching carefully. Many feminine nouns in German end in -e, like Wache. Imagine a vigilant woman (feminine -> die) keeping watch.

Meaning Mnemonic: "Wache" sounds like the English word "watch". Someone who is watching is keeping Wache (activity), is part of the Wache (person/group), or works at the Wache (place, like a station).

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

Risk of Confusion?

Be careful not to confuse "die Wache" with "die Waage" (scale, for weighing) or the verb "wagen" (to dare, to venture).

😂 A Little Joke

Warum hat die Wache am Hühnerstall gekündigt?
Sie hatte die Nase voll vom Eiertanz! 🐔

(Why did the guard at the chicken coop quit?
She was fed up with the "egg dance"! - "Eiertanz" literally means "egg dance" but idiomatically means fussing about or beating around the bush.)

📜 Poem about the Watch

Die Wache steht im Sternenschein,
lässt keinen ungebeten rein.
Ob Regen, Sturm, ob kalte Nacht,
sie hält gewissenhaft die Wacht.
Ein Posten, Ort und Tätigkeit,
für Schutz und für Sicherheit.

(The watch stands in the starlight,
lets no uninvited person in outright.
Whether rain, storm, or cold night,
it conscientiously keeps the watch bright.
A post, place, and activity,
for protection and for security.)

🧩 Little Riddle

Ich bin ein Ort, wo Uniformen sind,
und auch die Tätigkeit, die man beginnt,
wenn and're schlafen, still und tief.
Manchmal bin ich auch ein ganzer Haufen schlief?
Nein, wachsam muss ich immer sein!
Wer oder was fällt dir da ein?

(I am a place where uniforms are found,
and also the activity that starts,
when others sleep, silent and deep.
Sometimes am I also a whole bunch asleep?
No, watchful I must always be!
Who or what comes to your mind?)

Solution: die Wache (the watch/guard/station)

➕ Other Information

Word Compounds (Wortzusammensetzungen): "Wache" is part of many compound words:

• Nachtwache: night watch
• Feuerwache: fire station
• Leibwache: bodyguard
• Grenzwache: border guard
• Hauptwache: main guard station (often historical city centers)