01
das Recht
right
A moral or legal claim to do, have, or receive something.
example
Jeder Bürger hat das Recht auf freie Meinungsäußerung.
Every citizen has the right to freedom of expression.
das Recht
right / law
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word family
The noun 'das Recht' (right/law) is the basis for the adjective 'recht' (right). Capitalization makes it clear that it is the noun, which describes a claim or the legal system.
EXAMPLE
Jeder hat das Recht auf Bildung.
Everyone has the right to education.
Context clue
When 'Recht' is used without an article, it usually means the legal field or the legal system. With an article ('das Recht') or in the plural ('die Rechte'), it refers to a specific right or claim.
EXAMPLE
Mein Bruder studiert Recht in Berlin.
My brother studies law in Berlin.
Fixed preposition
A claim is often expressed with the preposition 'auf' (to/on) and the accusative. The structure is: 'das Recht auf etwas haben' (to have the right to something).
EXAMPLE
Die Mitarbeiter haben ein Recht auf eine Pause.
The employees have a right to a break.
Fixed expression
The expression 'im Recht sein' (to be in the right) describes that someone objectively or morally holds the correct position. It is often used in conflict situations or discussions.
EXAMPLE
Er war überzeugt davon, im Recht zu sein.
He was convinced that he was in the right.
Adverbial expression
The expression 'mit Recht' (rightly) means 'berechtigterweise' (justifiably) or 'zu Recht' (rightly). It often appears at the beginning or in the middle of a sentence and evaluates an action as justified.
EXAMPLE
Sie hat sich mit Recht über den Lärm beschwert.
She rightly complained about the noise.
Showing possession
The expression 'sein gutes Recht' (one's good right) is often used with a possessive pronoun (mein, dein, sein, etc.) to emphasize an undeniable claim.
EXAMPLE
Es ist dein gutes Recht, nach einem Rabatt zu fragen.
It is your good right to ask for a discount.
Compare with
Recht vs recht
right / quite
'recht' and 'das Recht' look almost the same, but they are not grammatically the same. 'recht' is an adjective or part of the phrase 'recht haben' (to be right), and then it means that a statement is correct. 'das Recht' is a noun and means a right or a justified position. Learners can easily confuse the words because you can say both 'recht haben' (to be right) and 'im Recht sein' (to be in the right). Pay attention to the article and capitalization: 'das Recht' is a noun, while 'recht' in 'du hast recht' is written in lowercase.
Recht
Jeder Kunde hat das Recht, eine klare Rechnung zu bekommen.
Every customer has the right to receive a clear invoice.
recht
Du hast recht, der Bus fährt heute früher.
You are right, the bus leaves earlier today.
In real life
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