das  Angebot

A2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈanɡəboːt/

🎁 What exactly is an 'Angebot'?

The German word das Angebot (it's neuter) has several related meanings:

• Proposal/Offer/Quote: A statement outlining the conditions under which someone is willing to do or sell something. Example: Ein Handwerker macht ein Angebot für die Reparatur (A craftsman makes an offer for the repair).
• Goods at a favorable price (Special Offer): Often used in retail when a product is temporarily cheaper. Example: Diese Woche sind Äpfel im Angebot (Apples are on offer this week). A synonym is Sonderangebot.
• Range of available goods/services (Selection/Assortment): The range or selection offered by a shop or market. Example: Das Warenhaus hat ein breites Angebot an Kleidung (The department store has a wide selection of clothes).
• Economic Supply: The quantity of goods or services available in a market at a specific price (the opposite of Nachfrage - demand). Example: Das Angebot an Arbeitskräften ist gesunken (The supply of labor has decreased).

It's always neuter, so it's consistently das Angebot. 🚨 Don't confuse it with the verb anbieten (to offer something).

🧐 Grammar Deep Dive: Declension of 'das Angebot'

The noun Angebot is neuter (sächlich). Here are the declension tables for singular and plural:

📝 Quick Usage Examples

1. Der Kunde prüft das Angebot des Lieferanten sorgfältig. (The customer carefully checks the supplier's offer. - Accusative Singular)
2. Wegen des guten Angebots habe ich sofort zugeschlagen. (Because of the good offer, I snapped it up immediately. - Genitive Singular)
3. Viele Geschäfte locken mit besonderen Angeboten. (Many shops attract customers with special offers. - Dative Plural)
4. Die Angebote in diesem Supermarkt sind oft unschlagbar. (The offers in this supermarket are often unbeatable. - Nominative Plural)

💡 When and How to Use 'Angebot'?

Das Angebot is a versatile word appearing in various contexts:

• In Business: Here, it usually refers to a formal offer, quote, or proposal. "Wir haben drei Angebote eingeholt." (We have obtained three quotes.)
• When Shopping: Talking about an Angebot in a supermarket or store usually means a special price or promotion. "Schau mal, die Butter ist im Angebot!" (Look, the butter is on special offer!)
• In Economics: It describes the quantity of a good available on the market (Angebot und Nachfrage - supply and demand). "Ein hohes Angebot drückt die Preise." (A high supply lowers prices.)
• General Usage: It can also simply describe a range or selection of possibilities. "Das kulturelle Angebot der Stadt ist beeindruckend." (The city's cultural offerings are impressive.)

Distinguishing from similar words:

• Vorschlag (Suggestion): A Vorschlag is less binding than a formal Angebot. You can suggest something without directly offering a service or product under specific terms.
• Sortiment/Auswahl (Assortment/Selection): These words specifically refer to the entire range of products a retailer carries, while Angebot can also mean a single offer or a special price.

🧠 Memory Aids for 'das Angebot'

For the article 'das':

Think of das as the neutral article for things that are presented or proposed. An Angebot is presented to you. Imagine a neutral gift box (das Geschenk) containing the Angebot.

For the meaning 'Offer/Supply':

Break it down: an (at/to) + ge (prefix, often past participle related) + bot (related to 'bieten' - to offer/bid). Think of something being brought 'an' (to) you – an Angebot (offer).

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms for Angebot

⚠️ Watch out for similar words:

• Gebot: Can mean a bid at an auction, but also a commandment or rule (e.g., die Zehn Gebote - the Ten Commandments). Angebot is more specific to offers or goods.
• Aufgebot: Historically, the public announcement of a marriage; today also a contingent or deployment (e.g., police contingent - Polizeiaufgebot). Not related to a sales offer.

😂 A Little Joke about an 'Angebot'

Fragt der Verkäufer: "Na, wie gefällt Ihnen unser heutiges Sonderangebot?"
Antwortet der Kunde: "Ganz ehrlich? Das Angebot ist gut, aber das Sonderbare daran ist der Preis!"

Translation:
Salesperson asks: "Well, how do you like our special offer today?"
Customer replies: "Honestly? The offer (Angebot) is good, but the special/strange (Sonderbare) thing about it is the price!" (Playing on Sonderangebot = special offer and sonderbar = strange/peculiar)

📜 A Poem about 'das Angebot'

Ein Zettel lockt, ganz bunt und grell,
Ein Angebot, und das ganz schnell.
Der Preis gesenkt, die Ware lacht,
Wer da nicht kauft, der hat's nicht bedacht.

Doch prüfe stets, was man dir reicht,
Ob Qualität dem Preis auch gleicht.
Ein kluger Kopf, der überlegt,
Bevor er sich zum Kauf bewegt.

Translation:
A notice tempts, colorful and bright,
An offer, available so quick and right.
The price reduced, the goods seem glad,
Who doesn't buy, hasn't thought, too bad.

But always check what's handed near,
If quality matches price, my dear.
A clever mind, that contemplates,
Before a purchase it instates.

❓ Little Riddle

Ich kann ein Schnäppchen sein im Laden,
Oder ein Vorschlag, wohlberaten.
In der Wirtschaft bin ich oft gefragt,
Mal knapp, mal reichlich auf dem Markt gewagt.

Was bin ich, stets sächlich und bereit,
Mal für kurze, mal für lange Zeit?

Translation:
I can be a bargain in the store,
Or a proposal, well-advised before.
In economics, I'm often in demand,
Sometimes scarce, sometimes abundant across the land.

What am I, always neuter and prepared,
Sometimes for a short time, sometimes longer shared?

Solution: Das Angebot (The offer/supply)

🤓 More Tidbits about 'Angebot'

Word Formation (Wortbildung):

The word Angebot is composed of the prefix an- (at, to) and the noun Gebot. Gebot itself derives from the verb bieten (to offer, bid, but also historically to command). So, an Angebot is literally something 'offered to' someone.

Related Verbs (Verwandte Verben):

• anbieten: The action of making an offer. (Er bietet seine Hilfe an. - He offers his help.)
• ein Angebot unterbreiten/machen/stellen: More formal ways to say 'make an offer'.
• auf ein Angebot eingehen: To accept or respond to an offer.

International Context: The German word "Angebot" often corresponds to the English "offer", "proposal", "quote", "supply", or "selection"/"range", depending on the specific context.