die
Weltmeisterin
🏆 What Exactly is a Weltmeisterin?
Die Weltmeisterin is a female person who has achieved the highest international title in a specific discipline, usually in sports – she is the best in the world in her field.
It is the female form of the word der Weltmeister (male world champion).
- Meaning: Female person holding a world championship title.
🚨 Attention: The word is used almost exclusively for female individuals. For male individuals, use der Weltmeister.
Article rules for der, die, and das
Women → almost always feminine.
Caution: Most professions also have their feminine forms (e.g. die Polizistin). Some words can also have two forms: der/die Deutsche, der/die Kranke.
-in → mostly feminine.
All persons and professions ending in -in are feminine. Other -in nouns can be der/die/das.
🥇 Grammar Gold: Declining Weltmeisterin
The noun „die Weltmeisterin“ is feminine. Here are the declension tables:
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Weltmeisterin |
| Accusative | die | Weltmeisterin |
| Dative | der | Weltmeisterin |
| Genitive | der | Weltmeisterin |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Weltmeisterinnen |
| Accusative | die | Weltmeisterinnen |
| Dative | den | Weltmeisterinnen |
| Genitive | der | Weltmeisterinnen |
Example Sentences
- Die frischgebackene Weltmeisterin jubelte über ihren Sieg. (The newly crowned world champion celebrated her victory.)
- Alle feierten die Weltmeisterin. (Everyone celebrated the world champion.)
- Der Trainer gratulierte der Weltmeisterin herzlich. (The coach warmly congratulated the world champion.)
- Der Erfolg der Weltmeisterin war hart erarbeitet. (The world champion's success was hard-earned.)
- Viele ehemalige Weltmeisterinnen waren als Ehrengäste geladen. (Many former world champions were invited as guests of honor.)
In Action: When to use Weltmeisterin?
The term die Weltmeisterin is primarily used in the context of sports competitions where a global title is awarded (e.g., Fußball-WM - Football World Cup, Leichtathletik-WM - Athletics World Championships, Schach-WM - Chess World Championship).
- Sports: Sie wurde 1998 zum ersten Mal Weltmeisterin im Skifahren. (She became world champion in skiing for the first time in 1998.)
- Figurative Sense (rare): Sometimes the term is used metaphorically for a woman who achieves absolute top performance in a non-sporting field, e.g., "Sie ist eine wahre Weltmeisterin im Organisieren." ("She is a true world champion organizer.") However, this is rather colloquial.
The word conveys success, hard work, and international prestige.
🧠 Mnemonics for Weltmeisterin
- For the article 'die': Nouns ending in -in that denote female persons are almost always feminine in German (require 'die'). Think of: Die Königin (the queen), die Lehrerin (the female teacher), die Weltmeisterin. They all deserve die crown! 👑
- For the meaning: Imagine a woman standing on a globe (Welt 🌍 = world) holding up a gold medal (sign of a female master/champion - Meisterin 🥇). She's the master of the world – die Weltmeisterin.
🔄 Similar & Opposite: Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms (Similar Words)
- Siegerin: (Female) winner of a competition (more general).
- Champion(ess): Often used synonymously, sometimes also for continental titles.
- Gewinnerin: (Female) winner, very general, not specific to a world title.
- Titelträgerin: (Female) title holder, refers to holding any title (can include Weltmeisterin).
Antonyms (Opposite Words)
- Verliererin: (Female) loser, the direct opposite.
- Zweitplatzierte / Drittplatzierte: (Female) runner-up / third-place finisher.
- Teilnehmerin: (Female) participant, someone who takes part but doesn't necessarily win.
⚠️ Caution: Not every Siegerin is a Weltmeisterin. A Weltmeisterin is always a Siegerin, but at the highest international level.
😄 A Little Joke
Frage: Was ist der Lieblingssnack einer Box-Weltmeisterin vor dem Kampf?
(Question: What's a female boxing world champion's favorite snack before a fight? Answer: Schlag-Sahne! - This is a pun. "Schlagsahne" means whipped cream, but "Schlag" also means punch or hit.)
🎤 A Little Rhyme for Honor
Sie trainiert bei Tag und Nacht,
hat den Sieg ins Visier gebracht.
Mit Kraft, Geschick und hellem Sinn,
ist sie die Weltmeisterin!
Ganz oben auf dem Treppchen steht,
die Beste, die die Welt je seht!
(She trains by day and night,
brought victory into sight.
With strength, skill, and brilliant mind,
she is the world champion of her kind!
Standing highest on the podium's stair,
the best the world has seen anywhere!)
❓ Who am I? A Riddle
Ich trage Gold, doch bin nicht reich.
Ich kämpfte hart, war niemals weich.
Die ganze Welt kennt meinen Namen,
wenn ich besiege andre Damen.
In meiner Sportart, glaub es mir,
gibt's keine Bessere als mir.
Wer bin ich?
... Die Weltmeisterin
(I wear gold, but am not rich.
I fought hard, was never soft/weak.
The whole world knows my name,
when I defeat other dames.
In my sport, believe you me,
there's no one better than me.)
Who am I?
... The (female) world champion (Die Weltmeisterin)
🤓 Trivia & Word Building Blocks
Word Composition:
The word "Weltmeisterin" is a compound noun (Kompositum), composed of:
- Welt: Refers to the global scope of the title (world).
- Meister: Denotes a person who masters their craft and surpasses others (master/champion).
- -in: Suffix used to form the feminine version of nouns referring to people.
Trivia:
- The title "Weltmeister/in" is awarded in many different disciplines, from popular sports like football (Fußball) to niche disciplines or even mind sports like chess (Schach).
- The frequency of World Championships varies greatly depending on the discipline (annually, every two years, every four years, etc.).
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Weltmeisterin?
The noun Weltmeisterin is always feminine. The correct article is die. It refers to a female person who has won the highest international title in her discipline (e.g., in sports). The plural is die Weltmeisterinnen.