Whether it’s a country’s highest law or someone’s emotional state, Germans use Verfassung. It’s one of those powerful double-meaning words: legal and deeply personal.
The noun Verfassung means both constitution (as in the foundational law of a nation) and condition or state (especially emotional or physical). It’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German.
It’s a feminine noun, so we say die Verfassung.
Pronunciation
Verfassung is pronounced [fer-FASS-oong].
- Stress is on the second syllable: fer-FASS-ung
- The final -ung is soft and nasal
- It’s formal and weighty—just like its meanings
Example sentences:
- Das Grundgesetz ist die Verfassung Deutschlands.
The Basic Law is Germany’s constitution. - Sie war nicht in der Verfassung, darüber zu sprechen.
She wasn’t in the condition to talk about it.
Nuance and usage tips
Verfassung has two distinct meanings:
- Political/legal meaning
- Verfassungsgericht – constitutional court
- Verfassungsrecht – constitutional law
- Verfassungsänderung – constitutional amendment
- In Germany, Grundgesetz is the actual constitution, but Verfassung is still the technical term for it.
- Emotional / physical state
- in schlechter Verfassung sein – to be in bad shape
- psychische Verfassung – mental state
- körperliche Verfassung – physical condition
Its antonyms:
- For the legal sense: Verfassungswidrigkeit (unconstitutionality)
- For personal condition: Zusammenbruch (breakdown), Instabilität
Grammatical case examples:
- Nominative:
Die Verfassung garantiert die Grundrechte.
The constitution guarantees basic rights. - Accusative:
Ich bewundere die Verfassung der Sportlerin.
I admire the athlete’s condition. - Dative:
Mit der Verfassung des Staates geht es bergab.
The state’s constitution is deteriorating. - Genitive:
Wegen der Verfassung konnte sie nicht teilnehmen.
Because of her condition, she couldn’t participate.
Feminine case pattern: die, die, der, der
📘 Duden entry: https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Verfassung
🎥 Learn Verfassung and the rest of the top 1000 German nouns in our free video course:
https://deutschable.com/nouns/
Alternate translations note:
For mental or physical condition, Germans might also use Zustand, but Verfassung sounds more formal, reflective, or medical. And for national constitutions, Verfassung is always the correct technical term—even though Germany’s is called the Grundgesetz.
Ready for more German words of the day? Do you know what Vergnügen means? How about Norden? Find out!