die
Wichtigkeit
🎯 What does "die Wichtigkeit" mean?
Die Wichtigkeit (noun, feminine) describes the standing (Stellenwert), meaning (Bedeutung), or relevance (Relevanz) that a thing, person, action, or circumstance possesses. It's about how essential or crucial something is.
The word derives from the adjective wichtig (important). It is used to express that something should not be ignored or deserves special attention.
There is only one article for this word: die Wichtigkeit.
Article rules for der, die, and das
-keit → always feminine.
📚 Grammar of "Wichtigkeit" in Detail
"Wichtigkeit" is a feminine noun. The article is always die.
It is almost exclusively used in the singular, as it is an abstract noun. The plural ("Wichtigkeiten") is very rare and usually avoided or rephrased (e.g., "wichtige Aspekte" - important aspects).
Declension Singular
| Case | Definite Article | Indefinite Article |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Subject) | die Wichtigkeit | eine Wichtigkeit |
| Genitive (Possessive) | der Wichtigkeit | einer Wichtigkeit |
| Dative (Indirect Object) | der Wichtigkeit | einer Wichtigkeit |
| Accusative (Direct Object) | die Wichtigkeit | eine Wichtigkeit |
Example Sentences (with Translations)
- Nominative: Die Wichtigkeit dieser Aufgabe ist nicht zu unterschätzen.
(The importance of this task should not be underestimated.) - Genitive: Er war sich der Wichtigkeit des Augenblicks bewusst.
(He was aware of the importance of the moment.) - Dative: Wir messen dieser Angelegenheit große Wichtigkeit bei.
(We attach great importance to this matter.) - Akkusativ: Der Lehrer betonte die Wichtigkeit der Hausaufgaben.
(The teacher emphasized the importance of the homework.)
💡 How to use "die Wichtigkeit"?
"Die Wichtigkeit" is used to emphasize the degree of importance or relevance of something.
- Prioritization: You talk about the Wichtigkeit of tasks to set priorities ("Die Wichtigkeit dieses Projekts rechtfertigt den hohen Aufwand." - *The importance of this project justifies the high effort.*).
- Evaluation: It serves to evaluate information, events, or arguments ("Die historische Wichtigkeit dieser Entdeckung ist enorm." - *The historical importance of this discovery is enormous.*).
- Emphasis: It's often used to stress a particular aspect ("Ich möchte die Wichtigkeit der Pünktlichkeit betonen." - *I want to emphasize the importance of punctuality.*).
Distinction from similar words:
- Bedeutung (meaning, significance): Can often be used synonymously, but sometimes emphasizes the sense or interpretation more (e.g., "die Bedeutung eines Wortes" - the meaning of a word).
- Relevanz (relevance): Refers more strongly to significance within a specific context or for a particular goal ("Die Relevanz dieser Daten für unsere Studie ist hoch." - *The relevance of this data for our study is high.*).
- Stellenwert (standing, value): Refers more to the position or rank in a hierarchy or evaluation scale ("Welchen Stellenwert hat Umweltschutz in Ihrer Firma?" - *What standing does environmental protection have in your company?*).
You can betonen (emphasize), erkennen (recognize), unterschätzen (underestimate), überschätzen (overestimate) the Wichtigkeit of something, or something can an Wichtigkeit gewinnen/verlieren (gain/lose importance).
🧠 Mnemonics for "die Wichtigkeit"
Article Mnemonic (die)
Think of other important abstract concepts that are feminine in German, like die Priorität (priority) or die Relevanz (relevance). If something has priority, it has die Wichtigkeit.
Meaning Mnemonic
Imagine a scale (like for weighing things). What is wichtig (important) has a lot of 'weight'. Wichtigkeit is the conceptual 'weight' or significance of something. The German 'wichtig' sounds a bit like the English 'weighty', which also relates to importance.
🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms (Similar Meaning)
- Bedeutung: Meaning, significance (often interchangeable).
- Relevanz: Relevance (significance in context).
- Stellenwert: Standing, value, status (position in a ranking).
- Signifikanz: Significance (more formal).
- Gewicht: Weight (figurative influence or importance).
- Tragweite: Scope, implications (extent of consequences or meaning).
- Belang: Concern, matter of importance (often slightly less strong than Wichtigkeit).
Antonyms (Opposite Meaning)
- Unwichtigkeit: Unimportance (direct opposite).
- Belanglosigkeit: Insignificance, triviality.
- Irrelevanz: Irrelevance (lack of meaning in context).
- Nebensächlichkeit: Triviality, secondary matter.
- Geringfügigkeit: Insignificance, minuteness.
⚠️ Note: Although similar, not every synonym fits every context. The choice depends on the exact nuance you want to express.
😂 A Little Joke
German: Warum hat der Wecker beim Meeting so viel Wichtigkeit?
Weil er immer die Zeit betont! 😉
English: Why does the alarm clock have so much importance at the meeting?
Because it always emphasizes (stresses/points out) the time! 😉 (Note: 'betonen' means 'to emphasize' but sounds like 'beten' - to pray - for time, or related to 'Ton' - sound, hence the clock's sound emphasizes time. It's a pun.)
📜 Poem about Importance
German:
Manches scheint groß, manches klein,
doch was soll wirklich wichtig sein?
Die Wichtigkeit, ein Maß, ein Wert,
zeigt uns, was wirklich ehrenwert.
Im Kleinen oft das Große liegt,
ein Lächeln, das den Kummer wiegt.
Die Wichtigkeit misst nicht nur Macht,
sondern was Freude uns gebracht.
English Translation:
Some things seem large, some things small,
but what should truly matter most of all?
Importance, a measure, a value true,
shows us what's worthy through and through.
Often in small things, greatness lies,
a smile that weighs more than sorrow's sighs.
Importance measures not just might,
but what has brought us joy and light.
🧩 Little Riddle
German:
Ich habe keinen Körper, doch Gewicht,
entscheide oft, was man verspricht.
Man kann mich messen, schätzen, sehen,
und muss oft meinetwegen gehen
oder bleiben, handeln, warten.
Ich wachse oft in Herz und Garten
der Prioritäten. Sag, wer bin ich wohl,
mal angenehm, mal schmerzensvoll?
English Translation:
I have no body, yet I possess weight,
often deciding promises and fate.
You can measure, estimate, perceive me clear,
and often must because of me steer
your course to go, or stay, act, wait.
I often grow in heart and garden state
of priorities. Say, who am I, then,
sometimes pleasant, sometimes causing pain?
Solution: die Wichtigkeit (importance)
✨ Other Information
Word Origin & Formation
The word "Wichtigkeit" is a nominalization (forming a noun) of the adjective "wichtig" (important). It is formed by adding the suffix -keit. This suffix is frequently used in German to form feminine nouns from adjectives, describing a quality or state (e.g., Sauberkeit from sauber - cleanliness from clean, Freundlichkeit from freundlich - friendliness from friendly).
"Wichtig" itself comes from Middle High German "wihtec", which originally meant "gewichtig" in the sense of "having weight".
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Wichtigkeit?
The word Wichtigkeit is always feminine. The correct article is exclusively die. It describes the importance, relevance, or significance of something.