die  Weite

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈvaɪ̯tə/

🌌 What does "die Weite" mean?

Die Weite (noun, feminine) generally describes a large spatial expanse, both in width and distance. It can refer to several concepts:

• Spatial Expanse/Vastness: This is the most common meaning. It describes the immensity or large area of a landscape, the sky, the sea, or a space. Example: Die unendliche Weite der Wüste (The infinite vastness of the desert).
• Width: The horizontal dimension or the distance between two points. Example: Die Weite eines Flusses (The width of a river), die Weite eines Kleidungsstücks (the width/size of a piece of clothing, e.g., trouser width - Hosenweite).
• Distance: It can also denote farness or distance, often in a poetic or figurative sense. Example: In die Weite schauen (To look into the distance).
• Sports (Athletics): The measured distance in jumping events (Weitsprung - long jump, Dreisprung - triple jump) or throwing events. Example: Er erzielte eine beeindruckende Weite (He achieved an impressive distance).

🚨 Important: In the sense of spatial expanse/vastness, "die Weite" is mostly used only in the singular.

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar of "die Weite" in Detail

The noun "Weite" is feminine. The article is therefore die.

Note on the Plural: The plural "die Weiten" is used less frequently. It occurs when referring to specific, measurable widths or distances (e.g., die verschiedenen Weiten der Stoffbahnen - the different widths of the fabric panels) or in poetic language (e.g., die unendlichen Weiten des Universums - the infinite expanses of the universe).

💬 Example Sentences

1. Wir blickten in die endlose Weite der Prärie. (We looked into the endless expanse of the prairie.)
2. Der Schneider maß die Weite der Hose am Bund. (The tailor measured the width of the trousers at the waistband.)
3. Seine Gedanken schweiften in die Weite. (His thoughts wandered into the distance.)
4. Der Athlet erreichte im Weitsprung eine neue persönliche Bestweite. (The athlete achieved a new personal best distance in the long jump.)
5. Die unermesslichen Weiten des Ozeans faszinierten sie. (The immeasurable expanses of the ocean fascinated them.)

🚶‍♀️ When and how to use "die Weite"?

"Die Weite" is often used to express a feeling of openness, freedom, and limitlessness. Here are typical contexts:

• Nature descriptions: Very common in relation to landscapes (sea, desert, sky, fields). Example: Die Stille und Weite der Bergwelt (The silence and vastness of the mountain world).
• Philosophy/Poetry: In a figurative sense for mental or emotional openness or the infinity of being. Example: Die Weite des menschlichen Geistes (The breadth/vastness of the human spirit).
• Clothing & Measurements: Specific width indications, e.g., for clothing (Taillenweite - waist size, Hosenweite - trouser width) or technical measurements. Example: Bitte geben Sie die gewünschte Weite an (Please specify the desired width).
• Sports: As a measure of the distance achieved in jumping or throwing disciplines. Example: Die Siegerweite betrug 8,15 Meter (The winning distance was 8.15 meters).

Distinction:

• Breite vs. Weite: "Breite" (width) is often more neutral and technical for the transverse dimension. "Weite" can also mean width, but often carries the additional connotation of vastness or farness.
• Ferne vs. Weite: "Ferne" (distance, farness) specifically refers to the distance to something remote. "Weite" can imply farness but primarily describes the expanse itself.

🧠 Mnemonics for "die Weite"

Remembering the article: Think of die Freiheit (freedom), die Unendlichkeit (infinity) – both are abstract, feminine concepts in German that fit well with the idea of die Weite (vastness). Or: The related adjective is "weit" (wide, far) – it often describes things that are feminine (die Landschaft - the landscape, die Aussicht - the view).

Remembering the meaning: The word "Weite" sounds like the English word "wide". Imagine something very "wide" expanding in all directions – that's die Weite.

↔️ Synonyms & Antonyms

⚠️ Caution: "Weite" can sometimes be confused with "Breite". While "Weite" often implies a broader expanse, "Breite" refers more specifically to the transverse dimension (width).

😂 A Little Joke

Fragt der Lehrer: "Was ist weiter entfernt, der Mond oder Australien?"
Antwortet Fritzchen: "Australien natürlich!"
Lehrer: "Wieso das denn?"
Fritzchen: "Na, den Mond kann ich von hier aus sehen!"

Translation:

The teacher asks: "What is further away, the moon or Australia?"
Little Fritz answers: "Australia, of course!"
Teacher: "Why is that?"
Fritzchen: "Well, I can see the moon from here!"

(Humorously relates to the perception of distance/vastness)

📜 Poem about Vastness

Die Weite lockt, der Horizont,
Wo Himmel auf die Erde thront.
Ein Meer aus Blau, ein Feld so grün,
Gedanken frei und kühn.

Die Enge weicht, das Herz wird leicht,
Wenn man die große Weite erreicht.
Ein Atemzug, ein Blick, ein Schritt,
Nimm dieses Freiheitsgefühl mit!

Translation:

The vastness calls, the horizon line,
Where sky upon the earth does shine.
A sea of blue, a field so green,
Thoughts are free and keen.

Confinement yields, the heart feels light,
When reaching vastness, broad and bright.
A breath, a glance, a single stride,
Take this sense of freedom inside!

❓ A Little Riddle

Ich habe keine Mauern, doch bin riesengroß.
Ich liege vor dir offen, auf der Erde Schoß.
Im Himmel kannst du mich sehen, am Meer entlang,
Beim Sprung messbar, doch ohne Zwang.

Was bin ich?

Translation:

I have no walls, yet I am huge.
I lie open before you, in earth's refuge.
In the sky you can see me, along the sea's expanse,
Measurable in a jump, yet without constraint or dance.

What am I?
Solution: die Weite (vastness, expanse, width)

💡 More to Know

Word Family:

• The noun "Weite" is derived from the adjective weit (wide, far, broad).
• Related verbs include erweitern (to widen, expand, broaden) and sich weiten (to widen, become wider).
• Compound nouns: Weitblick (foresight), Weitsprung (long jump), Reichweite (range, reach), Hosenweite (trouser width), Lichtweite (clear width/span).

Idiom:

• Das Weite suchen: Literally "to seek the wide/far", meaning to run away, flee, make oneself scarce. Example: "Als die Polizei kam, suchte der Dieb das Weite." (When the police arrived, the thief fled.)