die
Wissenschaft
📚 What does "die Wissenschaft" mean?
Die Wissenschaft (feminine) refers to the systematic pursuit of knowledge and understanding through research, observation, and experimentation. It encompasses both the process of acquiring knowledge and the resulting organized body of knowledge itself.
- Meaning 1: The entire field of human knowledge and research (e.g., Die Wissenschaft macht Fortschritte. - Science is making progress.)
- Meaning 2: A specific discipline or field of study (e.g., Die Biologie ist eine Naturwissenschaft. - Biology is a natural science.)
- Meaning 3: The community of researchers (e.g., Die Wissenschaft ist sich uneinig. - The scientific community disagrees.)
This word only uses the feminine article die.
Article rules for der, die, and das
-ft/ -schaft → almost always feminine.
All -schaft nouns are feminine, but not all -ft nouns are.
🧐 Grammar in Detail: die Wissenschaft
The noun "Wissenschaft" is feminine. Here are the declension tables:
| Case | Article | Word |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Wissenschaft |
| Genitive | der | Wissenschaft |
| Dative | der | Wissenschaft |
| Accusative | die | Wissenschaft |
| Case | Article | Word |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Wissenschaften |
| Genitive | der | Wissenschaften |
| Dative | den | Wissenschaften |
| Accusative | die | Wissenschaften |
Example Sentences
- Die Wissenschaft sucht nach Antworten auf grundlegende Fragen.
(Science seeks answers to fundamental questions.) - Er studierte verschiedene Wissenschaften an der Universität.
(He studied various sciences/disciplines at the university.) - Der Fortschritt der Wissenschaft ist beeindruckend.
(The progress of science is impressive.) - Wir verdanken der Wissenschaft viele moderne Annehmlichkeiten.
(We owe many modern conveniences to science.)
💡 How "die Wissenschaft" is used
"Die Wissenschaft" is a central term in academic, educational, and intellectual contexts.
- General: When used in the singular ("die Wissenschaft"), it often refers to the entire system or process of research and knowledge acquisition. ("Die Wissenschaft braucht mehr Förderung." - Science needs more funding.)
- Specific Disciplines: In the plural ("die Wissenschaften") or in compound words (Komposita), it refers to individual fields of study. Common distinctions include:
- Naturwissenschaften (natural sciences: physics, chemistry, biology)
- Geisteswissenschaften (humanities: history, philosophy, literary studies)
- Sozialwissenschaften (social sciences: sociology, political science, psychology)
- Formalwissenschaften (formal sciences: mathematics, logic, computer science)
- Distinction: "Wissenschaft" is distinguished from pseudoscience, belief (Glaube), or opinion (Meinung) because it is based on verifiable methods and facts.
🧠 Mnemonics for "die Wissenschaft"
For the Article: Many German nouns ending in -schaft are feminine (die Freundschaft - friendship, die Landschaft - landscape, die Gesellschaft - society...). Remember: Wissenschaft (science/knowledge) is power, and power can be associated with a strong female figure -> die Wissenschaft!
For the Meaning: Think of the components: "Wissen" (knowledge) + "schaffen" (to create). Wissenschaft is the activity that creates knowledge.
🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms (similar meaning):
- Forschung: (Research) - Emphasizes the process of investigation.
- Erkenntnis: (Insight, discovery, knowledge) - Emphasizes the result of acquiring knowledge.
- Lehre: (Doctrine, teaching, discipline) - Often in the context of academic disciplines and their teaching.
- Gelehrsamkeit: (Scholarship, erudition) - Refers more to a person's comprehensive knowledge.
- Disziplin / Fachgebiet: (Discipline / Field of study) - Refers to a specific branch of science.
Antonyms (opposite meaning):
- Unwissenheit: (Ignorance) - The lack of knowledge.
- Aberglaube: (Superstition) - Belief in irrational connections, opposite of the scientific method.
- Pseudowissenschaft: (Pseudoscience) - Claims appearing scientific but not adhering to its methods.
- Ignoranz: (Ignorance - often willful) - Conscious or unconscious lack of knowledge.
⚠️ Note: Do not confuse with "das Wissen" (knowledge in general), which is neuter.
😂 A Little Joke
German: Was ist der Unterschied zwischen einem Chemiker und einem Physiker? Der Physiker studiert die Gesetze der Natur, der Chemiker bricht sie manchmal im Labor!
English: What's the difference between a chemist and a physicist? The physicist studies the laws of nature, the chemist sometimes breaks them in the lab!
📜 Poem about Science
Die Wissenschaft, ein weites Feld, (Science, a wide field,)
was die Erkenntnis zusammenhält. (what holds knowledge together.)
Sie forscht und prüft, Tag ein, Tag aus, (It researches and tests, day in, day out,)
treibt Zweifel und den Aberglauben raus. (drives out doubt and superstition.)
Von Sternenstaub bis Zellkern klein, (From stardust to the tiny cell nucleus,)
will sie des Wissens Hüter sein. (it wants to be the guardian of knowledge.)
Mit Logik, Daten, Experiment, (With logic, data, experiment,)
die Welt verstehen, das ist ihr Trend. (understanding the world, that is its trend.)
❓ Little Riddle
German:
Ich habe viele Zweige, doch bin kein Baum.
Ich schaffe Wissen, fülle jeden Raum.
Ich nutze Fakten, Logik und Verstand,
und reise oft in unbekanntes Land.
Was bin ich?
English Translation:
I have many branches, but am not a tree.
I create knowledge, fill every room/space.
I use facts, logic, and reason,
and often travel into unknown land.
What am I?
→ Die Wissenschaft (Science)
🧩 Other Information
Word Composition:
"Wissenschaft" is composed of:
- Wissen: knowledge
- -schaft: A suffix often denoting collectives, states, or areas of activity (e.g., Freundschaft - friendship, Gesellschaft - society).
Related Terms:
- Wissenschaftler / Wissenschaftlerin: (Scientist - male / female)
- wissenschaftlich: (scientific - adjective)
- Wissensdurst: (Thirst for knowledge)
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Wissenschaft?
The German word "Wissenschaft" is always feminine. The correct article is die Wissenschaft. The plural form is die Wissenschaften.