01
die Dummheit
stupidity
A lack of intelligence, judgment, or wisdom; the quality of being stupid.
example
Seine Entscheidung zeugte von unglaublicher Dummheit.
His decision showed incredible stupidity.
die Dummheit
stupidity
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word structure
The noun 'Dummheit' (stupidity) is derived from the adjective 'dumm' (stupid). The ending '-heit' is a typical way in German to form abstract feminine nouns from adjectives.
EXAMPLE
Die Weisheit eines Menschen zeigt sich oft erst im Alter, die Dummheit leider schon früher.
A person's wisdom often only shows itself in old age; their stupidity, unfortunately, shows itself earlier.
Countable vs. uncountable
'Dummheit' (stupidity) as a quality is uncountable. But when the word refers to a single unwise action, it is countable and can appear in the plural, 'Dummheiten' (stupid things).
EXAMPLE
Aus reiner Dummheit hat er den Schlüssel im Auto vergessen.
Out of sheer stupidity, he forgot the key in the car.
Typical collocations
When referring to a single action, 'Dummheit' (a stupid thing) is often combined with the verbs 'machen' (to do/make) or 'begehen' (to commit). 'Eine Dummheit begehen' (to commit a stupid act) is somewhat more formal than 'eine Dummheit machen' (to do something stupid).
EXAMPLE
Ich habe eine große Dummheit gemacht und mich nicht entschuldigt.
I did something really stupid and didn't apologize.
Compare with
Dummheit vs Fehler
mistake / error
'der Fehler' and 'die Dummheit' can both refer to a wrong or bad action. However, 'der Fehler' is more neutral: something was not right, had bad consequences, or did not follow the rule. 'die Dummheit' is stronger and judges the action as foolish or thoughtless. Because of this, 'Dummheit' can quickly sound like criticism of the person. Learners confuse the words when they talk about something wrong. 'Fehler' is often the safer choice; 'Dummheit' fits when you want to emphasize that something was truly foolish.
Dummheit
Herr Wagner bereut die Dummheit, den wichtigen Termin vergessen zu haben.
Mr. Wagner regrets the foolish mistake of forgetting the important appointment.
Fehler
Im Formular ist ein Fehler, deshalb muss ich es noch einmal ausfüllen.
There is a mistake on the form, so I have to fill it out again.
In real life
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