die
Zuverlässigkeit
💡 What Exactly is Zuverlässigkeit?
Die Zuverlässigkeit means reliability or dependability. It describes the quality of being reliable or trustworthy. It signifies that you can count on a person, a thing, or a process.
As a noun ending in -keit, it's feminine and takes the article 'die'. This is a very dependable rule in German! 😉
You can find Zuverlässigkeit in various contexts:
- For people: Someone keeps promises, is punctual, and carries out tasks conscientiously.
- For products/systems: A device works without faults, software runs stably.
- For information: Data or statements are correct and trustworthy.
Article rules for der, die, and das
-keit → always feminine.
🧐 Grammar Under the Microscope: Die Zuverlässigkeit
The word 'die Zuverlässigkeit' is an abstract noun and is normally only used in the singular. It is feminine.
Declension (Singular)
| Case (Kasus) | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Who/What?) | die | Zuverlässigkeit |
| Genitive (Whose?) | der | Zuverlässigkeit |
| Dative (To/For Whom?) | der | Zuverlässigkeit |
| Accusative (Whom/What?) | die | Zuverlässigkeit |
A plural form ('die Zuverlässigkeiten') is very uncommon and would refer to specific, countable instances of reliability, which is rarely the case.
Example Sentences in German (with English Translation)
- Die Zuverlässigkeit dieses Mitarbeiters ist vorbildlich.
(This employee's reliability is exemplary.) - Wir schätzen die Zuverlässigkeit unserer Lieferanten sehr.
(We highly value the reliability of our suppliers.) - Bei technischen Geräten ist die Zuverlässigkeit ein wichtiges Kaufkriterium.
(For technical devices, reliability is an important purchasing criterion.) - Aufgrund mangelnder Zuverlässigkeit der Daten mussten wir die Studie wiederholen.
(Due to the lack of reliability of the data, we had to repeat the study.)
🗣️ How to Use 'Zuverlässigkeit'?
Die Zuverlässigkeit is a commonly used word, both in everyday life and in professional contexts.
- In professional settings: Here, Zuverlässigkeit is often a core competence. People talk about the Zuverlässigkeit von Mitarbeitern (reliability of employees), Partnern (partners), Prozessen (processes), or Systemen (systems). Example: "Die Zuverlässigkeit der Produktionsanlage ist entscheidend für unseren Erfolg." (The reliability of the production plant is crucial for our success.)
- In everyday life: It often refers to personal relationships or the functioning of things. Example: "Ich kann mich immer auf seine Zuverlässigkeit verlassen." (I can always count on his reliability.) or "Die Zuverlässigkeit meines alten Autos lässt nach." (The reliability of my old car is decreasing.)
- In technology & science: Here it is a measurable factor, e.g., the statistische Zuverlässigkeit (statistical reliability) of data or the technische Zuverlässigkeit (technical reliability) of components.
Risk of confusion? Sometimes Verlässlichkeit is used synonymously. Zuverlässigkeit often emphasizes consistency and predictability over time, while Verlässlichkeit can also encompass spontaneous help that one can count on.
🧠 Mnemonics for Zuverlässigkeit
Article Mnemonic: Almost all German nouns ending in
-heitor-keitare feminine (die). Think: "It takes reliabil-ity (feminin-ity!) to have Zuverlässigkeit, so it must be die!"
Meaning Mnemonic: Think of "zoo-per reliable!". The 'Zu-' at the start of Zuverlässigkeit sounds a bit like 'zoo'. Imagine a zoo keeper who is *always* reliable in feeding the animals exactly on time. That's Zuverlässigkeit.
🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms
Similar Words (Synonyms)
- Verlässlichkeit: (Dependability) Very similar, often interchangeable.
- Beständigkeit: (Consistency, Steadfastness) Emphasizes durability and stability.
- Pünktlichkeit: (Punctuality) An aspect of reliability, related to time.
- Vertrauenswürdigkeit: (Trustworthiness) Emphasizes the trust placed in someone/something.
- Solidität: (Solidity, Soundness) Often used for finances or character; robust, well-founded.
Opposite Words (Antonyms)
- Unzuverlässigkeit: (Unreliability) The direct opposite.
- Nachlässigkeit: (Negligence, Carelessness) Lack of care, leading to unreliability.
- Willkür: (Arbitrariness) Acting without fixed rules or predictability.
- Unbeständigkeit: (Inconsistency, Instability) Lack of stability, changeable.
😂 A Little Joke
German: Warum hat die Uhr den Job verloren? Wegen mangelnder Zuverlässigkeit – sie war ständig zu spät dran und hat wichtige Termine verpasst! 땡땡!
English: Why did the clock lose its job? Due to a lack of reliability – it was constantly late and missed important appointments! Ding ding!
📜 A Poem about Zuverlässigkeit
German:
Auf dich kann man zählen, tagaus und tagein,
Dein Wort, es hat Gewicht, es leuchtet hell und rein.
Ob Mensch, ob Maschine, ob Uhr an der Wand,
Die Zuverlässigkeit hält alles fest in ihrer Hand.
Ein Fels in der Brandung, ein sicherer Port,
Auf sie ist Verlass, an jedem Ort.
English:
You can be counted on, day out and day in,
Your word carries weight, shining bright from within.
Be it person or machine, or clock on the wall,
Reliability holds everything firmly in its thrall.
A rock in the surf, a safe port in the storm,
It can be relied upon, keeping you safe and warm.
❓ Riddle Time
German:
Ich bin eine Tugend, im Beruf sehr begehrt,
Halte ich mein Versprechen, bin ich viel wert.
Maschinen beweisen mich durch stabilen Lauf,
Freunde zeigen mich im Lebensverlauf.
Was bin ich?
Lösung: die Zuverlässigkeit
English:
I am a virtue, highly sought in a career,
If I keep my promise, I am held very dear.
Machines prove me through stable operation,
Friends show me throughout life's duration.
What am I?
Solution: die Zuverlässigkeit (reliability)
🧩 Other Tidbits
Word Formation (Wortbildung): The word 'Zuverlässigkeit' is composed of:
- The adjective zuverlässig (reliable, dependable)
- The suffix -keit, which is used to form feminine nouns from adjectives, expressing a quality or state.
The root lies in the verb sich verlassen (auf), meaning 'to rely (on)'.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Zuverlässigkeit?
The correct article for Zuverlässigkeit is die. It is a feminine noun (die Zuverlässigkeit, der Zuverlässigkeit, ...). The ending '-keit' almost always indicates a feminine noun in German.