How do you do something—with care? With flair? With stubbornness? In German, the phrase is Art und Weise, and the key word there is Weise: the way or manner something happens. It’s not about direction—it’s about how something is done.

The noun Weise (in this sense) means manner, fashion, or way of doing something. It's especially common in fixed phrases and abstract speech. And yes—it's one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German, largely because of its role in expressions like auf diese Weise or in gewisser Weise.

It’s a feminine noun, so we say die Weise.

⚠️ Note: There are other meanings of Weise, including “melody” (in poetry/music) and “wise person,” but those are contextually and grammatically distinct. Here, we’re focusing on Weise as manner/form/method—the one in Art und Weise.

Pronunciation

Weise is pronounced [VY-zeh].

• The “W” is pronounced like an English “V.”

• The “ei” rhymes with “eye,” and

• The final “e” is softly pronounced like “eh.”

The word has a smooth, flowing sound—fitting for something that describes how things unfold.

Example sentences:

• Sie hat die Aufgabe auf ihre eigene Weise gelöst.
  She solved the task in her own way.

• Diese Art und Weise gefällt mir nicht.
  I don’t like this way of doing things.

Nuance and usage tips

Weise on its own is rare—you’ll almost always see it in phrases:

• Art und Weise – manner or style
  auf diese Art und Weise – in this way
  in gewisser Weise – in a certain way

It’s a more abstract alternative to Weg, which means a physical path or route. Weise is all about form and method.

Common structures:

• in welcher Weise? – in what way?

• jede erdenkliche Weise – every conceivable way

• auf keine Weise – in no way

There’s no real antonym, but Unart (“bad habit” or “improper behavior”) might occasionally contrast with Art und Weise when discussing negative versus acceptable forms of behavior.

Grammatical case examples:

• Nominative: Die Weise, wie er das Problem angeht, ist beeindruckend.
  The way he approaches the problem is impressive.

• Accusative: Ich bewundere die Weise, in der sie spricht.
  I admire the way she speaks.

• Dative: Mit dieser Weise kann ich nichts anfangen.
  I can’t do anything with this method.

• Genitive: Wegen der Weise, wie er sich ausdrückte, gab es Missverständnisse.
  Because of the way he expressed himself, there were misunderstandings.

Feminine pattern: die, die, der, der

Word variations and language tidbits

Variation Station:

• Art und Weise – most common phrase, meaning “way” or “manner”

• auf diese Weise – in this manner

• in keiner Weise – in no way

• in ähnlicher Weise – in a similar fashion

Bonus note: If you're reading older literature or poetry, Weise might also mean melody or tune. But that use is rare in modern conversation.

📘 Duden entry: https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Weise

🎥 Learn Weise and the rest of the top 1000 German nouns in our free online video course:
https://deutschable.com/nouns/

What about two more German words of the day to learn? Do you know how to express doubt in German? And do you know what Gelegenheit means in German?