When someone’s under attack—whether it’s a football goal, a courtroom accusation, or a nation’s border—German calls the response a Verteidigung. It’s the word for protection, resistance, and standing your ground.
The noun Verteidigung means defense, and it’s used in military, legal, sports, and everyday contexts. It’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German, and it’s especially helpful when talking about arguments, protection, or national security.
It’s a feminine noun, so we say die Verteidigung.
Pronunciation
Verteidigung is pronounced [fer-TY-dee-goong].
- The “Ver” is like “fair.”
- The “tei” rhymes with “eye.”
- And the final “-gung” is that classic “-ung” ending, pronounced like “goong” with a soft “ng.”
Example sentences:
- Die Verteidigung des Angeklagten war überzeugend.
The defense of the defendant was convincing. - Die Mannschaft konzentrierte sich auf die Verteidigung.
The team focused on defense.
Nuance and usage tips
Verteidigung covers a broad spectrum of “defense” situations:
- Legal:
Die Verteidigung plädiert auf nicht schuldig. – “The defense pleads not guilty.” - Military or political:
Verteidigungsministerium – Ministry of Defense
Landesverteidigung – national defense - Sports:
In der zweiten Halbzeit stand die Verteidigung gut. – “The defense held strong in the second half.”
Its natural antonym is Angriff (masculine, der Angriff), meaning attack or assault.
Grammatical case examples:
- Nominative:
Die Verteidigung war gut organisiert.
The defense was well organized. - Accusative:
Wir stärken die Verteidigung des Landes.
We are strengthening the country’s defense. - Dative:
Mit der Verteidigung begann die Gegenoffensive.
With the defense began the counter-offensive. - Genitive:
Wegen der Verteidigung verzögerte sich der Prozess.
Because of the defense, the trial was delayed.
Feminine pattern: die, die, der, der
Word variations and language tidbits
Variation Station:
- verteidigen – to defend
Er verteidigte sich gegen die Vorwürfe. – “He defended himself against the accusations.” - Selbstverteidigung – self-defense
- Verteidigungslinie – line of defense
- Verteidigungspolitik – defense policy
You’ll also hear Verteidigung used metaphorically:
- emotionale Verteidigung – emotional defense
- Verteidigung einer Idee – defending an idea
🎥 Learn Verteidigung and the rest of the top 1000 German nouns in our free online video course:
https://deutschable.com/nouns/
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