die
Zeitung
📰 What does "die Zeitung" mean?
Die Zeitung (noun, feminine) primarily refers to a periodically published printed work containing current Nachrichten (news), Berichte (reports), Meinungen (opinions), and Anzeigen (advertisements). It informs about current events in Politik (politics), Wirtschaft (economy), Kultur (culture), Sport, and other areas.
- Main meaning: Printed news medium (Tageszeitung - daily newspaper, Wochenzeitung - weekly newspaper).
- Figurative meaning: Sometimes also used for online news portals of major newspaper publishers.
There is only this one article for this word, so there's no risk of confusion regarding the article. ⚠️ Be careful not to confuse it with "die Zeitschrift" (magazine/journal), which is often more topic-specific and published less frequently.
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 Zeitung" in Detail
The word "Zeitung" is a feminine noun. Here is its declension:
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Zeitung |
| Genitive | der | Zeitung |
| Dative | der | Zeitung |
| Accusative | die | Zeitung |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Zeitungen |
| Genitive | der | Zeitungen |
| Dative | den | Zeitungen |
| Accusative | die | Zeitungen |
📝 Example Sentences
- Ich lese jeden Morgen die Zeitung beim Frühstück.
(I read the newspaper every morning at breakfast.) - Der Artikel in der Zeitung war sehr interessant.
(The article in the newspaper was very interesting.) - Hast du die Schlagzeilen in den Zeitungen gesehen?
(Did you see the headlines in the newspapers?) - Gib mir bitte die Zeitung von gestern.
(Please give me yesterday's newspaper.)
💡 How to use "die Zeitung"?
"Die Zeitung" is very commonly used in everyday language when talking about news and information media.
- Typical uses: Reading (lesen), subscribing to (abonnieren), buying (kaufen), delivering (austragen) a newspaper, flipping through it (darin blättern), placing an ad (eine Anzeige aufgeben).
- Context: Used for local, national, and international press publications.
- Compounds: Often part of compound words like Tageszeitung (daily newspaper), Wochenzeitung (weekly newspaper), Lokalzeitung (local newspaper), Online-Zeitung (online newspaper), Zeitungsartikel (newspaper article), Zeitungsjunge (paperboy), Zeitungspapier (newsprint).
- Differentiation: Differs from die Zeitschrift (often more specific topic, higher quality paper, less frequent publication) and das Magazin (similar to Zeitschrift, often focusing on pictures and entertainment).
🧠 Mnemonics for "die Zeitung"
For the article (die): Remember: 'Die Information' (the information) and 'die Nachricht' (the news) are both feminine in German, just like die Zeitung that delivers them. Or: Think of a lady (feminine -> die) reading the newspaper.
For the meaning (newspaper): A ZeiTung tells you about the ZeiT (time/era). It brings you the latest from around the world. 'Zeit' means time, 'Zeitung' brings news 'in time'.
↔️ Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
- Das Blatt: Colloquial term for newspaper (e.g., "Was steht im Blatt?" - What's in the paper?). Literally 'the sheet/leaf'.
- Die Publikation: A general term for publication, can refer to a newspaper.
- Das Journal: More often used for professional journals, but sometimes also for newspapers (often in their names).
- Das Nachrichtenblatt: Slightly more formal, 'news sheet'.
Antonyms / Contrasting Concepts
Direct antonyms are rare. Contrasting concepts could be:
- Mündliche Überlieferung: Oral tradition, the main source of information in the past.
- Das Buch: A book, typically for timeless content, not daily news.
- Fake News / Desinformation: The opposite of reliable reporting (which a good newspaper aims for).
⚠️ Similar Words
- Die Zeitschrift: Periodical, but often topic-specific and published less frequently (magazine/journal).
- Das Magazin: Similar to Zeitschrift, often more entertaining (magazine).
😂 A Little Joke
DE: Warum hat der Bäcker keine Zeitung gelesen?
Weil er schon genug Teig-nachrichten hatte!
EN: Why didn't the baker read the newspaper?
Because he already had enough dough-news! (Pun on Teig = dough and Tag = day, as in Tagesnachrichten = daily news)
📜 Poem about the Newspaper
DE:
Schwarz auf Weiß, auf dünnem Bogen,
kommt die Welt ins Haus geflogen.
Die Zeitung raschelt, frisch und neu,
mit Nachrichten, ganz ohne Scheu.Von Politik und Sportgeschick,
vom großen Drama, kleinem Glück.
Sie bringt uns Wissen, fern und nah,
ist jeden Morgen für uns da.EN:
Black on white, on a thin sheet,
the world comes flying to your street.
The newspaper rustles, fresh and new,
with news arriving, bold and true.Of politics and sporting skill,
of major drama, minor thrill.
It brings us knowledge, far and near,
is present every morning here.
❓ Little Riddle
DE:
Ich komme täglich oder wöchentlich ins Haus,
berichte aus aller Welt, von Maus zu Klaus.
Ich habe Blätter, doch bin kein Baum,
erzähl' von gestern, erfüll' manchen Traum.
Was bin ich?
(Lösung: die Zeitung)
EN:
I come daily or weekly to your home,
reporting from the world, wherever you roam.
I have leaves, but I am not a tree,
I tell of yesterday, for all to see.
What am I?
(Solution: the newspaper / die Zeitung)
🧩 Other Information
- Word Origin (Etymology): The word "Zeitung" derives from Middle High German "zīdunge", meaning "Nachricht" (news) or "Kunde" (tidings). It's closely related to the word "Zeit" (time), as newspapers report on current events (the events of the time).
- Cultural Significance: Newspapers were the most important mass medium for a long time and continue to play a significant role in information dissemination and shaping public opinion, even in the digital age.
- Idiom: "Das stand gestern in der Zeitung." (That was in the newspaper yesterday.) - Often used to refer to information that is considered common knowledge.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Zeitung?
The German word for newspaper, Zeitung, is always feminine: die Zeitung. There are no other articles associated with this noun.