German warship reference gender

[rtheriaque]

In English, we tend to refer to ships as "she," rather than "it." I believe it's the opposite in Russian.

What did/do the Germans use? I believe, technically, the formal reference is gender neutral ("das"), but what do they tend to use in the romantic sense?

Many thanks!

[Laurence Batchelor]

Germans I believe refer to there warships in the masculine tense so they call them He.

[Guest]

Germans I believe refer to there warships in the masculine tense so they call them He.

If I recall from one of Bismark survivor's accounts, Bismark was referred to in the masculine tense by order of her captain, who deemed it impossible for so strong a ship to be thought of as feminine. This suggests to me that the Germans normally referred to ships in the feminine. Otherwise it would not warrant an explanation for the Bismark to be referred to in the masculine.

[Foeth]

It's just basic BS Bismarck fandom to call her a he. Highly irritating...

[JWintjes]

Germans I believe refer to there warships in the masculine tense so they call them He.

Ehm, no.

Ships are generally feminine in Germany, save for very few exceptions, like Derfflinger, known as "Der eiserne Hund" (iron dog); Prinz Eugen, known as "Der Prinz". Even then, "official" nomenclature uses the feminine.

Bismarck certainly is none of them.

Jorit

[Laurence Batchelor]

I stand corrected.
I was told the masculine applied to all their ships from the keel laying to scrapping.

[Walt]

I stand corrected.
I was told the masculine applied to all their ships from the keel laying to scrapping.

Hey Laurence,, Well maybe you were correct.. I seem to remember some pretty masculine Femes back in my childhood playing for all those East German Olympic teams..wow Scary for sure.. So much for dopeing eh? I do believe that the West has brought all those "Girls" back into the fold... thank Goodness for modern technoligy..Or should I say I hope so.
Sorry mates I just had a total flashback to my puberty nightmares..."Pictures of Lilly" they were not!
Somehow Bertha comes to mind....Ack Chooo.....

[ingura]

...

[bengtsson]

Well German is a very complicated language - just an example:

The BISMARCK is know as "die Bismarck" (f) but if you served on her then
you we're doing it "auf der Bismarck" (m) and if you're saying "der Bismarck geht es nicht gut" (m) it means that the ship is not in good shape, although stating "der Bismarck ist krank" (m) it refers to the Person of Bismarck who is sick. If you want to refer to the Ship Bismarck and tell us in German that the Ship is sick you must say "die Bismarck ist krank". (f)

Got it?

Der Schlachtkreuzer DERFFLINGER (the battlecruiser DERFFLINGER) (m)
Der DERFFLINGER (m)
Der Schlachtkreuzer HINDENBURG (the battlecruiser HINDENBURG) (m)
Die HINDENBURG (f)

Das Panzerschiff DEUTSCHLAND (the pocket-battleship) (neutral)
Die Deutschland (f)

Der ADMIRAL SCHEER (m),
Der PRINZ (Eugen), as abbr. (m) but
Die PRINZ EUGEN full name (f)

No wonder that German is a dying language.

The Wall - die Mauer - (f) but if you are
standing in front of the wall you're standing "vor der Mauer" (m)

Yes, I get it. But what about the free standing pronoun? In other words: I am a sailor aboard Z-26 and HMS Trinidad just hit us amidships with 3 6inch shells. I turn to my ship mate and say "I think "she" will not stand up to another hit like that". Is that correct? "She" was a good ship is English usage for a free standing pronoun.

Bob B.

[JWintjes]

Forgive an old-fashioned person for being nitpicky...

Well German is a very complicated language - just an example:

The BISMARCK is know as "die Bismarck" (f) but if you served on her then
you we're doing it "auf der Bismarck" (m) {ehm, no, actually feminine dative} and if you're saying "der Bismarck geht es nicht gut" (m){ehm, no, actually again feminine dative, as subject in this case is "es"} it means that the ship is not in good shape, although stating "der Bismarck ist krank" (m) it refers to the Person of Bismarck who is sick{and who beyond any conceivable doubt was a man}. If you want to refer to the Ship Bismarck and tell us in German that the Ship is sick you must say "die Bismarck ist krank". (f){which is good because ships invariably are feminine in German...}

Got it?

...

No wonder that German is a dying language.{I'd rather say the dative is a dying cause...}

The Wall - die Mauer - (f) but if you are
standing in front of the wall you're standing "vor der Mauer" (m){probably because you ask "Vor wem stehe ich"... another feminine dative}

Jorit

[K. T. Reynolds]

Hello all,
The Germans used the feminine reference, similar to the US and Great Britain. The exceptions that I know about refer to large ships such as heavy cruisers and battleships, when "he" was used.

Kevin