die
Wirkung
🎯 What does 'die Wirkung' mean?
Die Wirkung (noun, feminine) describes the result or consequence of an action, event, or substance. It's about what something causes or brings about.
- Main meaning: The effect, impact, or influence that something has on something else.
- Examples:
- Die Wirkung des Medikaments setzte schnell ein. (The effect of the medicine took hold quickly.)
- Die Wirkung seiner Worte war verheerend. (The impact of his words was devastating.)
- Die physikalische Wirkung der Kraft wurde gemessen. (The physical effect of the force was measured.)
It's a very common word used to express cause-and-effect relationships.
Article rules for der, die, and das
-ung → always feminine.
There are many -ung words, we won't list them all. There are only a few exceptions.
🧐 Grammar of 'die Wirkung' in Detail
The noun 'Wirkung' is feminine. The article is die. Like most feminine nouns ending in -ung, it's feminine.
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Wirkung |
| Genitive | der | Wirkung |
| Dative | der | Wirkung |
| Accusative | die | Wirkung |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Wirkungen |
| Genitive | der | Wirkungen |
| Dative | den | Wirkungen |
| Accusative | die | Wirkungen |
Example Sentences for Grammar
- Der Arzt erklärte die Wirkung (Accusative Singular) des neuen Medikaments. (The doctor explained the effect of the new medicine.)
- Wir untersuchen die Wirkungen (Accusative Plural) der Therapie. (We are investigating the effects of the therapy.)
- Dank der Wirkung (Dative Singular) des Kaffees fühle ich mich wacher. (Thanks to the effect of the coffee, I feel more awake.)
- Die Analyse der Wirkungen (Genitive Plural) steht noch aus. (The analysis of the effects is still pending.)
🗣️ How 'Wirkung' is used
'Wirkung' is a versatile word used in many contexts:
- Medicine & Pharmacy: Very common for describing the effects of drugs, therapies, or substances (e.g., Nebenwirkung / side effect, Hauptwirkung / main effect, Langzeitwirkung / long-term effect, Wechselwirkung / interaction).
- Physics & Technology: Describing physical effects or the impact of forces or processes.
- Psychology & Sociology: Describing the influence of events, words, or actions on individuals or groups.
- Everyday language: Generally used to describe the consequence or result of something (e.g., "Das hatte keine große Wirkung." / "That didn't have much effect.").
Distinction:
- Wirkung vs. Wirksamkeit: 'Wirkung' describes the effect itself, whereas 'Wirksamkeit' (efficacy or effectiveness) describes how well something works, i.e., the extent or quality of the effect.
- Wirkung vs. Einfluss: 'Wirkung' is often more direct and measurable, while 'Einfluss' (influence) can be more subtle and often describes a longer-term or indirect impact.
The related verb is wirken (to work, to have an effect, to seem).
💡 Mnemonics for 'die Wirkung'
For the article 'die': Most nouns ending in -ung are feminine (die). Think of other -ung words: die Beziehung (relationship), die Lösung (solution), die Meinung (opinion)... and also die Wirkung. It describes the one consequence.
For the meaning: The word comes from wirken (to work, to have an effect). What wirkt (works/has an effect) has a Wirkung (effect). Imagine how a magic potion 🧪 wirkt (works) and produces a visible Wirkung (effect, e.g., smoke 💨).
🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms (Similar Meaning)
- Effekt (der): Very similar, often interchangeable, perhaps slightly more technical.
- Auswirkung (die): Often emphasizes the consequences resulting from something.
- Einfluss (der): More about the impact on someone/something, can be more subtle (influence).
- Folge (die): That which follows temporally or logically; the consequence.
- Resultat (das): The result of a process or calculation.
⚠️ Similar Words
- Wirksamkeit (die): Refers to how well something works (effectiveness, efficacy), not just that it works.
- Wirkstoff (der): The active substance that causes an effect (e.g., in a medication).
😄 A Little Joke
Frage: Was ist die häufigste Nebenwirkung von Placebos?
Antwort: Die Einbildung!
(Question: What is the most common side effect of placebos? Answer: Imagination!)
📜 Poem about Effect
Ein kleiner Stein ins Wasser fällt,
zieht Kreise, die die Stille bricht.
Ein leises Wort, das jemand wählt,
hat Wirkung, die ins Herz oft sticht.
Ein Lächeln, eine gute Tat,
zeigt Wirkung, hell und wunderbar.
Drum achte auf der Folgen Pfad,
denn jede Handlung wird sichtbar.
(A little stone falls in the water,
draws circles that break the silence.
A quiet word that someone chooses,
has an effect that often pierces the heart.
A smile, a good deed,
shows effect, bright and wonderful.
So watch the path of consequences,
for every action becomes visible.)
🧩 Little Riddle
Ich bin das Kind von Tat und Zeit,
mal gut, mal schlecht, mal klein, mal breit.
Man misst mich oft in Medizin,
man hofft auf mich, liegt viel drin.
Nach Ursache komm' ich daher.
Was bin ich? Ratet sehr!
(I am the child of deed and time,
sometimes good, sometimes bad, sometimes small, sometimes wide.
I am often measured in medicine,
people hope for me, much lies within me.
After the cause, I arrive.
What am I? Guess hard!)
Solution: die Wirkung (the effect)
✨ Other Information about die Wirkung
Word Formation:
The word 'Wirkung' is derived from the verb wirken (to work, to have an effect) with the suffix -ung. This suffix is frequently used to form nouns from verbs, describing the process or result of the action (e.g., hoffen -> Hoffnung / hope, lösen -> Lösung / solution).
Common Compounds:
- Nebenwirkung: Side effect (unwanted additional effect, often with medication).
- Wechselwirkung: Interaction (mutual influence, e.g., between drugs).
- Langzeitwirkung: Long-term effect (effect that occurs after a longer time or lasts long).
- Wirkungsgrad: Efficiency ratio (technical term).
- Wirkungskreis: Sphere of influence or area of activity.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Wirkung?
The German word Wirkung is feminine. The correct article is die: die Wirkung. The plural is die Wirkungen.