gehorsam
obedient
Willing to follow another person's instructions or wishes, especially those of an authority figure.
EXAMPLE
Der gehorsame Schüler tat genau, was seine Lehrerin verlangte.
The obedient student did exactly what his teacher asked.
gehorsam
obedient
gehorsam – gehorsamer – am gehorsamsten
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Meanings
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry gehorsam, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
Comparison
| basic form | gehorsam |
|---|---|
| comparative | gehorsamer |
| superlative | am gehorsamsten |
After der, die, das
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -e | -e | -e | -en |
| acc. | -en | -e | -e | -en |
| dat. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
| gen. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
Add the ending to gehorsam.
After ein, eine
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -er | -e | -es | -en |
| acc. | -en | -e | -es | -en |
| dat. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
| gen. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
Add the ending to gehorsam.
Without article
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -er | -e | -es | -e |
| acc. | -en | -e | -es | -e |
| dat. | -em | -er | -em | -en |
| gen. | -en | -er | -en | -er |
Add the ending to gehorsam.
Usage tips
Word family
'Gehorsam' (obedient) belongs to the same word family as 'gehorchen' (to obey). The adjective describes a person or an animal, while 'der Gehorsam' (obedience) refers to the corresponding quality or attitude.
EXAMPLE
Sein gehorsames Verhalten fiel den Eltern sofort auf.
His parents immediately noticed his obedient behavior.
Dative construction
With 'gehorsam sein' (to be obedient), the person whose instructions are followed is often in the dative case: 'jemandem gehorsam sein' (to be obedient to someone).
EXAMPLE
Der Hund ist seinem Besitzer gehorsam.
The dog is obedient to its owner.
Typical collocations
'Gehorsam' (obedient) is frequently used to describe people or animals expected to follow instructions. Typical collocations include 'ein gehorsames Kind' (an obedient child), 'ein gehorsamer Hund' (an obedient dog), and 'gehorsame Soldaten' (obedient soldiers).
EXAMPLE
Die Lehrerin lobte das gehorsame Kind für sein ruhiges Verhalten.
The teacher praised the obedient child for behaving calmly.
Typical context
The word is particularly common in contexts involving upbringing, the military, religion, or other hierarchies. Depending on the context, it can express a positive sense of fulfilling one's duty or a strong tendency to submit to authority.
EXAMPLE
Der Roman erzählt von einem gehorsamen Soldaten, der keine Befehle hinterfragt.
The novel tells the story of an obedient soldier who never questions orders.
In real life
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