Question 14 of 300 · Basic Rights

Question 14: Freedom of expression in Germany means that I …

Official question from the BAMF catalog used for the Einbürgerungstest (German citizenship test) and the Leben in Deutschland test. Topic: Basic Rights.

The question as it appears on the exam

Meinungsfreiheit in Deutschland heißt, dass ich …

The Einbürgerungstest is written and sat in German only, with no dictionary allowed. Use the English below to understand the question, but learn to recognise the German wording above — that is what you will see on the day.

Diese Frage auf Deutsch →

Answer options

APassanten auf der Straße beschimpfen darf.may insult passersby on the street.
Bmeine Meinung im Internet äußern kann.can express my opinion on the internet.Correct
CNazi-, Hamas- oder Islamischer Staat-Symbole öffentlich tragen darf.may publicly display Nazi, Hamas, or Islamic State symbols.
Dmeine Meinung nur dann äußern darf, solange ich der Regierung nicht widerspreche.may only express my opinion as long as I do not contradict the government.

Correct answer

B — meine Meinung im Internet äußern kann.

can express my opinion on the internet.

Why this is the answer

This question is about the Grundrechte — the basic rights in Articles 1 to 19 of the German constitution. The benchmark is Article 1: “Human dignity is inviolable.” Basic rights protect the individual from the state; they are never permission to harm someone else. That is why options about owning weapons or taking the law into your own hands are never basic rights, while freedom of expression, religion and assembly always are. Ask yourself whether the option protects a person's freedom and dignity. If it does, it is the answer.

Key exam terms in this question

These exam terms appear in the question or in the answer options. Once you know them, you can still spot the right answer when the wording changes.

die Regierung — government
Die Regierung führt das Land.
die Meinungsfreiheit — freedom of expression
Meinungsfreiheit erlaubt Kritik an der Politik.

All exam vocabulary with translations →

How this question fits into the exam

On exam day you answer 33 questions in 60 minutes: 30 from the general catalog of 300 questions — this question is one of them — and 3 about your federal state. You pass with 17 correct answers. Aiming for exactly 17 leaves no margin for nerves, so take timed mock exams until 33 out of 33 feels routine.

Practise this question Full question catalog