die Not, ¨-e
distress
Eine schwierige oder gefährliche Lage, in der jemand dringend Hilfe oder Unterstützung braucht.
Definition & meaning
Not is a feminine noun referring mainly to hardship, distress, or an urgent situation in which help is needed. It can also mean a pressing need or necessity.
- Hardship or suffering: Sie lebten in großer Not means “They lived in great hardship.”
- Emergency or danger: In der Not rief sie um Hilfe means “In the emergency, she called for help.”
- Need or necessity: In some contexts, Not describes something urgently required, as in Not macht erfinderisch (“Necessity makes people inventive”).
The exact sense depends on context: Not may describe prolonged deprivation, an immediate crisis, or an urgent need.
Grammar & Word origin
Not is feminine: die Not. Its plural is die Nöte, used especially when referring to different troubles or hardships. The noun is often used without an article in expressions such as in Not sein (“to be in distress”).
It comes from Old High German nōt, meaning need, distress, or compulsion. It is related to English need.
Synonyms & antonyms
Possible synonyms include:
- Bedrängnis — distress or a difficult predicament, often emphasizing being under pressure.
- Elend — misery or extreme hardship, usually stronger and more focused on suffering.
- Notlage — an urgent or difficult situation; more specifically situational than Not.
- Mangel — shortage or lack of something, rather than hardship in general.
- Notwendigkeit — necessity; appropriate when Not means an urgent requirement, not distress.
There is no single antonym for every sense of Not. Depending on context, opposites include:
- Wohlstand — prosperity, as the opposite of material hardship.
- Sicherheit — safety or security, as the opposite of danger or crisis.
- Überfluss — abundance, especially as the opposite of scarcity.
Common phrases & collocations
- in Not sein — to be in distress or need.
- in Not geraten — to fall into hardship or trouble.
- jemandem aus der Not helfen — to help someone out of a difficult situation.
- Not leiden — to suffer hardship or deprivation.
- Not macht erfinderisch — “Necessity makes people inventive.”
- aus der Not eine Tugend machen — to make the best of a difficult situation.
Make “Not” part of your vocabulary.
Build your German vocabulary with flashcards, audio and spaced repetition.
Examples
In Not muss man zusammenhalten.noun
In times of distress, one must stick together.
In Zeiten der Not unterstützten die Nachbarn einander.noun
In times of distress, the neighbors supported each other.
Not bringt oft schwierige Entscheidungen mit sich.noun
Distress often brings difficult decisions with it.
Not kann ganz viele Gefühle auslösen.noun
Distress can trigger many different emotions.
Armut führt oft zur Not.noun
Poverty often leads to distress.
Die Familie geriet nach dem Sturm in große Not.noun
The family fell into great distress after the storm.
Keep exploring German
Learn words from the content you love.
Add words from websites, books and videos, then remember them with spaced repetition (SRS).
Scan for iPhone & iPad