die  Wiederholung

B1

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈviːdɐhoːlʊŋ/

🔄 What exactly is a Wiederholung?

Die Wiederholung (noun, feminine) describes the process or result when something happens, is said, or is done again. It has several contexts:

• General: The recurrence or re-execution of something. Example: Die ständige Wiederholung derselben Fehler ist ärgerlich. (The constant repetition of the same mistakes is annoying.)
• Learning/Education: Reviewing study material for consolidation. Example: Vor der Prüfung ist eine gründliche Wiederholung wichtig. (A thorough review is important before the exam.)
• Media (TV/Radio): A rebroadcast of a show or movie. Example: Gestern Abend lief nur eine Wiederholung der Serie. (Last night, only a rerun of the series was shown.)
• Music/Theater: Playing a part of a piece or a scene again. Example: Der Dirigent bat um eine Wiederholung des letzten Taktes. (The conductor asked for a repetition of the last bar.)

🚨 There is only one article for Wiederholung: die, because it is a feminine noun (typical ending '-ung').

Article rules for der, die, and das

📚 Grammar in Detail: Die Wiederholung

The word "Wiederholung" is a feminine noun. The article is always die.

Example Sentences

1. Die Wiederholung des Lernstoffs hilft beim Einprägen. (The repetition of the study material helps with memorization.)
2. Wegen der Wiederholung der Fehler mussten wir von vorne anfangen. (Because of the repetition of the mistakes, we had to start over.)
3. Ich stimme der Wiederholung des Experiments zu. (I agree to the repetition of the experiment.)
4. Er bat um die Wiederholung seiner Anweisungen. (He asked for the repetition of his instructions.)
5. Die Wiederholungen im Fernsehen sind manchmal nervig. (The reruns on TV are sometimes annoying.)
6. Die Analyse der Wiederholungen zeigte ein Muster. (The analysis of the repetitions showed a pattern.)
7. Wir lernen aus den Wiederholungen unserer Fehler. (We learn from the repetitions of our mistakes.)
8. Der Lehrer markierte die Wiederholungen im Text. (The teacher marked the repetitions in the text.)

🗣️ How to use "Wiederholung"?

"Wiederholung" is used in various contexts:

• In everyday life: When something happens or is said multiple times. ("Die ständige Wiederholung seiner Beschwerden nervt." - His constant repetition of complaints is annoying.)
• When learning: Essential for consolidating knowledge. ("Mach eine kurze Wiederholung der Vokabeln." - Do a quick review of the vocabulary.)
• On TV/Radio: For broadcasts that are not airing for the first time. ("Ist das eine neue Folge oder eine Wiederholung?" - Is this a new episode or a rerun?)
• In music: When passages or entire pieces are repeated. ("Das Stück endet mit einer Wiederholung des Refrains." - The piece ends with a repetition of the chorus.)
• Formal/Technical: Also used in scientific or technical contexts for recurring processes or cycles.

Comparison: While "Wiederholung" generally describes the act of doing/happening again, "Repetition" (the German word is also 'Repetition') is often more specific in the context of practice or rhetoric. "Neuauflage" (new edition/reissue) refers more to products like books or films being released again.

💡 Mnemonics for Wiederholung

Article Mnemonic: Nouns ending in -ung in German are almost always feminine (die). Think of: die Übung (practice), die Prüfung (exam), die Meinung (opinion)... and therefore also die Wiederholung!

Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine you have to "vider holen" (sounds like ' wieder holen' = fetch/get again) something, like fetching a ball again and again. Each time you 'get it again' is a Wiederholung (repetition) of the action.

🔁 Similar and Opposite Words

⚠️ Watch out: "Erholung" sounds similar but means 'rest' or 'recovery'. Don't confuse them!

😂 A Little Joke

Lehrer: "Fritzchen, was ist die Steigerung von Wiederholung?"
Fritzchen: "Hausaufgaben!"

Translation:
Teacher: "Fritzchen, what is the comparative/intensification of repetition?"
Fritzchen: "Homework!"

📜 Poem about Wiederholung

Die Uhr tickt fort, Sekunde um Sekunde,
ein Kreis, der schließt sich, Runde um Runde.
Was gestern war, kommt heute neu ins Spiel,
die Wiederholung ist oft Lebensziel.

Mal ist sie Trost in altbekanntem Klang,
mal öde Pflicht, ein mühsamer Gesang.
Doch stets lehrt sie, was fest im Herzen blieb,
durch stetes Tun, das uns voran stets trieb.

Translation:
The clock ticks on, second by second,
a circle closes, round after round.
What was yesterday, comes anew into play today,
repetition is often life's aim.

Sometimes it's comfort in familiar sound,
sometimes tedious duty, a laborious song.
But it always teaches what remained firm in the heart,
through constant doing, which always drove us forward.

❓ Riddle Time

Ich bin im Echo, im Refrain zu Haus,
Im Fernsehen schau ich oft wie gestern aus.
Beim Lernen helf' ich, Wissen zu festigen tief.
Was bin ich, das man oft als Übung rief?

Translation:
I am in the echo, at home in the refrain,
On TV, I often look just like yesterday again.
In learning, I help to consolidate knowledge deep.
What am I, often called for practice to keep?

Solution: die Wiederholung (repetition)

🧩 Further Details

Word Composition:

The word "Wiederholung" is composed of:

• wieder: Prefix meaning 'again', 'once more'.
• holen: Verb meaning 'to fetch', 'to get'. The verb "wiederholen" means 'to repeat', 'to do/say again'.
• -ung: Suffix used to form nouns from verbs, often denoting a process or result, and making the noun feminine.

Related Verb: wiederholen (to repeat something, to recur)