Pflicht

noun
duty, obligation, requirement
B1

Pflicht: duty, obligation, or requirement. A feminine noun (die Pflicht) used for moral, legal, or job-related duties. Plural Pflichten. Common collocations: 'eine Pflicht erfüllen' (fulfill a duty). No irregular plural. Often appears with infinitive constructions (zu + Infinitiv) to express obligations.

Examples

Es ist die Pflicht der Eltern, für ihre Kinder zu sorgen.
It is the parents' duty to care for their children.
Die Teilnahme am Kurs ist keine Pflicht, sondern freiwillig.
Attending the course is not a requirement, but voluntary.
Die Mitarbeiter erklärten, dass es ihre Pflicht wäre, die Berichte zu prüfen, obwohl die Frist knapp war.
The employees stated that it would be their duty to check the reports although the deadline was tight.

Details

PluralPflichten

Declension

CaseSingularPlural
nominativedie Pflichtdie Pflichten
genitiveder Pflichtder Pflichten
dativeder Pflichtden Pflichten
accusativedie Pflichtdie Pflichten

Mnemonics

👁️picture a checklist labelled 'Pflicht' with items you must do
👂sounds like 'flight' but with a 'p' — imagine duty pulling you back like gravity
⚧️feminine (die) — think 'die Pflicht' (the duty) as a fixed rule

Notes

Pflicht is used for legal, moral or contractual duties. Be careful: Pflicht (duty) vs. Pflichtgefühl (sense of duty).

Category

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