noun
justification, reason, explanation
B1
Begründung is a feminine noun meaning 'justification', 'reason' or 'explanation'. Article: die; plural Begründungen. It declines regularly. Common in legal, formal or argumentative contexts when giving reasons. Not a verb. Often used with prepositions like 'für', 'wegen' or with verbs such as 'geben' or 'liefern'.
Examples
Die Lehrerin bat um eine kurze schriftliche Begründung.
The teacher asked for a short written explanation.
Ich habe eine Begründung geschrieben.
I wrote a justification.
Die Begründung des Urteils war sehr ausführlich.
The justification for the verdict was very thorough.
Details
Mnemonics
Imagine someone pointing to the ground and saying 'because of this ground' as a silly visual for 'Begründung'.
Sounds like 'because' + 'ground' (reason/ground). Think 'be-GROUND-ung' for 'grounds' or reason.
Die Begründung — remember 'die' because many abstract nouns ending in -ung are feminine (think of 'the -ung' family: die Entscheidung, die Erinnerung).
Notes
Begründung is an abstract noun formed with the suffix -ung; many nouns with -ung are feminine. It often appears in legal, administrative, and academic contexts.