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EveryLingua

C2  ·  52 words

Contract and official German

The set phrases on which a legal or official document turns.

A German contract turns on small words that also lead an ordinary life, and der Zugang is the clearest case. On a building site or a login page it means access, the way in. In a letter that ends or changes something it means receipt: die Kündigung wird erst mit Zugang wirksam says that notice takes effect when it reaches the other side, not when it is written or posted. What counts is arrival where the recipient could be expected to take note of it, so a letter lying in the letterbox can have been received although nobody has opened it. The two senses never share a sentence, which is exactly why the legal one gets read past. Where a deadline is involved, der Zugang decides it, and much of the rest of this page — fristwahrend, die Zustellung, gelten als — exists to say when and how that moment arrives.

The words

Verb (9)

ersuchento request (formally)VerbC2
Wir ersuchen Sie, die fehlenden Nachweise umgehend vorzulegen.You are requested to submit the missing evidence without delay.

jemanden um etwas ersuchen: the person in the accusative, the thing with um.

anheimstellento leave to someone’s discretionVerbC2
Ob Sie Widerspruch einlegen, stellen wir Ihnen anheim.Whether you lodge an objection is left to you.

Separable; the person in the dative.

erachtento deem, to consider (formal)VerbC2
Das Amt erachtet eine Ortsbesichtigung für erforderlich.The authority deems a site inspection necessary.

etwas für nötig erachten: für plus an adjective.

anberaumento fix (a hearing or meeting)VerbC2
Das Gericht hat die Verhandlung auf den 12. März anberaumt.The court has set the hearing down for 12 March.

Usually separable (beraumte an), but anberaumte also occurs.

stattgebento grant, to allow (an application)VerbC2
Das Gericht gab dem Antrag statt.The court granted the application.

Separable and irregular: gab statt, stattgegeben. Takes the dative.

abhelfento allow (an objection) of one’s own accordVerbC2
Die Behörde hat dem Widerspruch selbst abgeholfen und den Bescheid aufgehoben.The authority allowed the objection itself and revoked its decision.

Separable and irregular: half ab, abgeholfen. Takes the dative.

versagento refuse (a permit)VerbC2
Die Baugenehmigung wurde versagt, weil das Grundstück im Außenbereich liegt.Planning permission was refused because the plot lies outside the built-up area.

In everyday German: to fail.

ergehento be issued (of a decision)VerbC2
Der Bescheid ergeht unter dem Vorbehalt der Nachprüfung.The assessment is issued subject to later review.

Irregular: erging, ist ergangen.

verstreichento elapseVerbC2
Sie haben die Frist ungenutzt verstreichen lassen.You let the deadline pass without acting.

Irregular: verstrich, ist verstrichen.

Adverb (4)

hiermitherebyAdverbC1
Hiermit kündige ich den Mietvertrag fristgerecht zum Monatsende.I hereby give notice to end the tenancy at the end of the month, as the notice period requires.

Writing the sentence is the act itself: the notice is given by it.

nachrichtlichfor information (copied to)AdverbC2
Das Schreiben geht nachrichtlich an das Bauamt.The letter is copied to the building control office for information.

The recipient is informed but is not expected to act.

tunlichstas far as possibleAdverbC2
Anträge sind tunlichst vor dem letzten Tag der Frist einzureichen.Applications should, as far as possible, be submitted before the last day of the period.

Colloquially stronger: das lässt du tunlichst bleiben, you had better not.

hochachtungsvollyours faithfully (dated)AdverbC2
Früher endete fast jeder Brief an eine Behörde mit „Hochachtungsvoll“.Letters to an authority used to end almost without exception with ‘Yours faithfully’.

Now sounds stiff and distant; mit freundlichen Grüßen is the norm.

This list belongs to Offices, law and the state — 23 lists and 938 words that can also be practised as a whole.

Practise this list

Multiple choice and gaps, drawn from exactly these 52 words. Whatever you get wrong comes back tomorrow.