das
Amt
🏛️ What does "das Amt" mean?
The German word das Amt (neuter noun) has several related meanings:
- Public office / Agency / Department: A public institution or administrative unit. This is the most common meaning when people talk about "das Amt".
- Example: Ich muss morgen früh aufs Amt, um meinen Pass zu beantragen. (I have to go to the office/agency tomorrow morning to apply for my passport. Here, a specific office like the Bürgeramt is meant).
- Example: Das Finanzamt hat die Steuererklärung geprüft. (The tax office checked the tax return.)
- Official position / Post / Role: A professional or honorary position, often associated with responsibility or authority.
- Example: Er bekleidet ein hohes Amt im Ministerium. (He holds a high office/position in the ministry.)
- Example: Sie hat das Amt der Klassensprecherin übernommen. (She took on the position/role of class representative.)
- Official duty / Function (less common standalone): The duties associated with a position.
- Example: Es gehört zu seinem Amt, die Sitzungen zu leiten. (It is part of his office/duty to chair the meetings.)
⚠️ Note: Colloquially, "Amt" is often used as a general term for an unspecified public authority ("Ich gehe zum Amt" - "I'm going to the office/authority").
🧐 Grammar in Detail: das Amt
The noun "Amt" is neuter. Its definite article is "das". It follows the strong declension pattern.
Declension Singular
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Who/What?) | das | Amt |
| Accusative (Whom/What?) | das | Amt |
| Dative (To/For Whom?) | dem | Amt / Amte* |
| Genitive (Whose?) | des | Amt(e)s |
*The dative ending "-e" (Amte) is archaic but still found in fixed expressions (e.g., "von Amts wegen" - "ex officio / by virtue of office").
Declension Plural
The plural of "Amt" is "Ämter".
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Ämter |
| Accusative | die | Ämter |
| Dative | den | Ämtern |
| Genitive | der | Ämter |
📝 Example Sentences
- Das Amt für Migration ist zuständig. (The Office for Migration is responsible. - Nominative Singular - agency)
- Er tritt sein neues Amt nächste Woche an. (He will start his new position/office next week. - Accusative Singular - position)
- Ich habe die Unterlagen beim Amt eingereicht. (I submitted the documents to the office/agency. - Dative Singular - agency)
- Die Aufgaben des Amtes sind klar definiert. (The duties of the office/position are clearly defined. - Genitive Singular - position/agency)
- Viele Ämter sind heute digital erreichbar. (Many offices/agencies are digitally accessible today. - Nominative Plural - agencies)
- Die Bürgermeisterin besuchte verschiedene Ämter der Stadt. (The mayor visited various offices/departments of the city. - Accusative Plural - agencies)
- Er hat mit vielen Ämtern zusammengearbeitet. (He has collaborated with many offices/agencies. - Dative Plural - agencies)
- Die Struktur der Ämter wurde reformiert. (The structure of the offices/agencies was reformed. - Genitive Plural - agencies)
💡 Usage and Context of "Amt"
"Das Amt" is frequently used in formal and official contexts, especially concerning administration, politics, and official positions.
Typical Uses
- Visiting an authority: "aufs Amt gehen" (to go to the office/agency), "beim Amt sein" (to be at the office/agency), "etwas vom Amt bekommen" (to receive something from the office/agency, e.g., a notification).
- Positions: "ein Amt bekleiden/innehaben/antreten/niederlegen" (to hold/take up/resign from an office/position), "ins Amt wählen/berufen" (to elect/appoint to office), "aus dem Amt scheiden" (to leave office).
- Compounds: Very common in compound nouns to denote specific authorities (Finanzamt - tax office, Standesamt - registry office, Gesundheitsamt - health department, Jugendamt - youth welfare office, Auswärtiges Amt - Foreign Office) or positions (Bürgermeisteramt - mayor's office, Pfarramt - parish office).
- Idioms: "von Amts wegen" (ex officio, automatically by the authority), "in Amt und Würden" (in office and dignity, holding an official, respected position).
- Ehrenamt: A voluntary, unpaid position ("Er hat ein Ehrenamt im Sportverein." - "He holds a voluntary position in the sports club.").
Comparison with Similar Words
- Behörde: Very similar to Amt (meaning 1), often interchangeable. "Behörde" can sometimes sound slightly more formal or larger.
- Dienststelle: Similar to Amt/Behörde, often used for a specific department or location of a larger organization.
- Büro: Refers more to the physical room or a private organizational unit, not a state authority or an official position. You don't go "aufs Büro" to apply for a passport, but "aufs Amt".
- Position/Stellung: Can also be used for non-official roles in companies, whereas "Amt" is strongly associated with the public sector or official functions.
🧠 Memory Aids for "das Amt"
-
For the article "das":
Think of the neutral, impersonal nature of bureaucracy or a government building: it's just das Amt. Or, imagine 'the M.T. place' (Ministry of Transport?) is neutral: das Amt.
-
For the meaning (office/position):
An Amt is where you might 'meet trouble' (bureaucracy at an agency) or where someone has an 'important' role (a position). Notice the M and T sounds!
🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms for "Amt"
Synonyms (Similar Meaning)
- For Agency/Department:
- Behörde: (Very common, often interchangeable) Das Gesundheitsamt ist eine wichtige Behörde. (The health department is an important authority.)
- Dienststelle: (More like a specific unit/location) Die zuständige Dienststelle befindet sich im Rathaus. (The responsible office/unit is in the town hall.)
- Verwaltung: (More abstract or the overall organization) Die öffentliche Verwaltung muss effizienter werden. (Public administration needs to become more efficient.)
- Institution: (Broader term, can also be non-governmental) Das Amt ist eine staatliche Institution. (The office is a state institution.)
- For Position/Role:
- Position: (Also common in the private sector) Er hat eine leitende Position inne. (He holds a leading position.)
- Posten: (More colloquial for a job/post) Er hat einen guten Posten bekommen. (He got a good post.)
- Funktion: (Emphasizes the task) In seiner Funktion als Schatzmeister... (In his function as treasurer...)
- Stellung: (Similar to position) Sie hat eine hohe Stellung in der Firma. (She has a high position in the company.)
Antonyms (Opposites)
- For Agency:
- Privatwirtschaft: (Private sector)
- Unternehmen/Firma: (Company/firm)
- For Position/Role:
- Privatleben: (Private life)
- Freizeit: (Leisure time)
- Arbeitslosigkeit: (Unemployment)
⚠️ Similar Sounding Words
- Amme (die): Wet nurse. Completely different meaning!
😂 A Little Joke
DE: Fragt ein Bürger den Beamten im Amt: "Ist hier die Abteilung für lahme Enten?" Sagt der Beamte: "Nein, wieso? Humpeln Sie?"
EN: A citizen asks the official at the public office: "Is this the department for lame ducks?" The official replies: "No, why? Are you limping?"
📜 Poem about "das Amt"
DE:
Das Amt, ein Haus, oft grau und schlicht,
mit Regeln, Stempeln, ernstem Gesicht.
Man geht hinein mit Formular,
hofft auf Erledigung, ist doch klar!
Mal ist's ein Posten, stolz getragen,
mit Verantwortung an vielen Tagen.
Ob Behörde oder Funktion,
das Amt prägt unser Leben schon.
EN:
The Amt, a house, often grey and plain,
With rules, and stamps, and serious strain.
You enter with a form in hand,
Hoping for processing, understand!
Sometimes a post, held high with pride,
With duties where you must preside.
Be it agency or function's call,
The Amt impacts the lives of all.
🧩 Little Riddle
DE:
Ich habe viele Zimmer, doch kein Bett darin.
Man braucht Papiere, um bei mir zu sein, oft mit ernster Mien'.
Manchmal bin ich ein Posten, den jemand hält mit Stolz.
Ob Stempel oder Chefetage – ich bin aus offiziellem Holz.
Was bin ich?
EN:
I have many rooms, but not a bed within.
You need papers to be with me, often with a serious grin.
Sometimes I am a post, held by someone with pride.
Whether stamps or executive floor – I'm made of official wood, inside.
What am I?
(Solution: das Amt)
🤓 Further Information
- Etymology: The word "Amt" comes from the Old High German "ambaht", which originally meant "service" or "duty". It has a long history and was already an important term for administration and governance in the Middle Ages.
- Compounds (Komposita): "Amt" is extremely productive in forming compound nouns in German (Komposita). This highlights its central role in German administrative and organizational structures.
- Examples: Standesamt (registry office), Finanzamt (tax office), Arbeitsamt (employment office), Gesundheitsamt (health department), Jugendamt (youth welfare office), Schulamt (school board), Hauptzollamt (main customs office), Einwohnermeldeamt (residents' registration office), Versorgungsamt (pension office), Wahlamt (electoral office), Presseamt (press office), Auswärtiges Amt (Foreign Office), Bundeskanzleramt (Federal Chancellery), Pfarramt (parish office), Bischofsamt (episcopal office), Ehrenamt (honorary/voluntary position), Nebenamt (secondary office/position)... the list is long!
- Fixed Expressions: "Von Amts wegen" means "ex officio" or "by virtue of office", indicating that an authority acts without an application or external trigger. "In Amt und Würden" describes someone holding an official and respected position ("in office and dignity").
Summary: is it der, die or das Amt?
The German word "Amt" is always neuter, so the correct article is das Amt. It primarily refers to a public office/agency or an official position/role.