das  Intranet

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈɪntʁanɛt/

🌐 What Exactly is an Intranet?

Das Intranet refers to an internal computer network that uses the same technologies as the Internet (e.g., TCP/IP, HTTP), but unlike the public Internet, it is only accessible to a limited group of users, typically the employees of an organization or company.

It serves for internal information exchange, communication, and the provision of resources and applications within that organization. You can think of it as a private internet.

🚨 Important: It always uses the article das because it's a neuter noun (derived from das Netz - the network).

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar in Detail: Das Intranet

The word Intranet is a neuter noun (sächlich). Its declension is as follows:

📝 Example Sentences

1. Das neue Intranet der Firma bietet viele Funktionen. (The company's new intranet offers many features.)
2. Der Zugriff auf das Intranet ist passwortgeschützt. (Access to the intranet is password-protected.)
3. Die Informationen findest du im Intranet. (You can find the information on the intranet.)
4. Die Struktur des Intranets wurde überarbeitet. (The structure of the intranet has been revised.)
5. Viele Unternehmen nutzen heutzutage Intranets zur internen Kommunikation. (Many companies nowadays use intranets for internal communication.)

🏢 How is 'das Intranet' Used?

The term Intranet is primarily used in the context of companies, public authorities, and other organizations.

• Typical Use Cases: Providing company news, employee directories, internal documents (Richtlinien, Formulare - policies, forms), project management tools, discussion forums, calendars, etc.
• Distinction from the Internet: While the Internet is publicly accessible, das Intranet is a closed network for internal purposes.
• Distinction from Extranet: An Extranet extends das Intranet to allow controlled access for external partners (e.g., customers, suppliers) to specific areas.

It's a standard term in IT and business management.

🧠 Mnemonics to Remember

For the article 'das': Think of das Netz (the network). An Intranet is an internal Netz, so it's das Intranet. It's like a neutral, technical thing: das thing.

For the meaning: Intra means 'within' or 'inside'. An Intranet is a network that functions only inside an organization.

🔄 Similar and Opposite Terms

⚠️ Caution: Although Mitarbeiterportal is often used synonymously, strictly speaking, it refers more to the visible website or application running on the intranet, whereas das Intranet is the underlying network infrastructure.

😄 A Little Joke

Frage: Warum hat das Intranet nie Sonnenbrand?
Antwort: Weil es immer nur drinnen ist!

Question: Why does the intranet never get sunburned?
Answer: Because it's always inside!

✍️ Poem about the Intranet

Im Netz, das nur die Firma kennt,
das Intranet, klug und präsent.
Für News, für Docs, für jeden Plan,
bringt es Kollegen eng zusamm'.
Kein Fremder schaut hier einfach rein,
so soll das interne Netzwerk sein.

In the net that only the company knows,
the Intranet, smart and present it shows.
For news, for docs, for every plan,
it brings colleagues closely together then.
No stranger simply looks inside,
that's how the internal network should abide.

🤔 Riddle Time

Ich bin ein Netz, doch fange keine Fische.
Ich bin privat, nicht für die große Nische.
In Firmen bin ich oft zu Haus,
verteile Wissen, internen Applaus.

Was bin ich?
(Lösung: das Intranet)

I am a net, but catch no fish.
I am private, not for the public wish.
In companies, I often reside,
sharing knowledge, with internal pride.

What am I?
(Solution: the Intranet)

🧩 Other Information

Word Composition (Wortzusammensetzung):

The word Intranet is a portmanteau or compound word:

• Intra: Latin for "within", "inside".
• Net: Short for "Network", based on "Internet".

So it literally describes an "internal network".

Development: Intranets became popular in the 1990s as companies started adapting Internet technology for their internal communication and organization.