das
Komitee
👥 What exactly is a Komitee?
Das Komitee (noun, neuter) refers to a group of people appointed or elected for a specific task, function, or to provide advice and make decisions. It's a committee or board, often formed temporarily or permanently for specific purposes.
Examples of Komitees include:
- Organisationskomitee (organizing committee, e.g., for an event)
- Untersuchungskomitee (investigating committee)
- Ethikkomitee (ethics committee)
- Auswahlkomitee (selection committee)
It's a neutral word, which fits the article das. There are no other articles for this word.
Article rules for der, die, and das
Many foreign words → mostly neutral.
There are many foreign words, we won't list them all.
🧐 Grammar Spotlight: Das Komitee
The word "Komitee" is a noun of neuter gender (Neutrum). Therefore, the article is always das.
Declension of "das Komitee"
| Case | Article | Noun | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | das | Komitee | The committee |
| Genitive | des | Komitees | Of the committee |
| Dative | dem | Komitee | To/for the committee |
| Accusative | das | Komitee | The committee |
| Case | Article | Noun | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Komitees | The committees |
| Genitive | der | Komitees | Of the committees |
| Dative | den | Komitees | To/for the committees |
| Accusative | die | Komitees | The committees |
Example Sentences 📝
- Das Komitee tagt morgen Vormittag.
(The committee meets tomorrow morning.) - Die Entscheidung des Komitees wurde einstimmig getroffen.
(The committee's decision was made unanimously.) - Wir haben den Vorschlag dem Komitee vorgelegt.
(We submitted the proposal to the committee.) - Der Vorstand beruft das Komitee ein.
(The board convenes the committee.) - Mehrere Komitees arbeiten an unterschiedlichen Aspekten des Projekts.
(Several committees are working on different aspects of the project.)
🗣️ How to use "Komitee"?
"Das Komitee" is often used in formal and organizational contexts, such as in companies (Unternehmen), clubs (Vereine), political bodies (politische Gremien), or for events (Veranstaltungen).
- Typical Contexts: Meetings (Sitzungen), reports (Berichte), decision-making (Entscheidungsfindung), planning (Planung), investigation (Untersuchung).
- Used with Verbs: ein Komitee bilden/einsetzen/berufen (to form/appoint/convene a committee), einem Komitee angehören (to belong to a committee), das Komitee tagt/entscheidet/berät (the committee meets/decides/advises).
- Comparison: Similar terms include der Ausschuss (often a sub-committee or for more specific tasks) and das Gremium (a more general term for a panel of experts or decision-making body). "Komitee" is frequently used for groups organizing or preparing something.
Sometimes it's used slightly ironically to describe bureaucratic or slow decision-making ("Das muss erst durchs Komitee." – "That has to go through the committee first.").
🧠 Mnemonics and Memory Aids
For the article "das": Think of a committee dealing with neutral, objective matters – like a topic or project (das Thema, das Projekt). Objective and neutral like das. Also, it's borrowed from French/English, and many borrowed nouns ending in '-ee' are neuter in German: das Komitee.
For the meaning "committee/group": "Komitee" sounds very similar to the English word committee. Just remember the German spelling and the neutral article das.
🔁 Similar and Opposing Terms
Synonyms (similar meaning):
- Der Ausschuss: (Sub-)committee, often for more specific tasks.
- Das Gremium: Panel, body, board; general term for an expert or decision-making group.
- Der Rat: Council; often advisory (e.g., Aufsichtsrat - supervisory board, Stadtrat - city council).
- Die Arbeitsgruppe: Working group; focused on developing solutions or results.
- Die Kommission: Commission; often appointed for investigations or special tasks.
Antonyms (opposite meaning):
- Die Einzelperson / Das Individuum: Individual; acting alone, not in a group.
- Die Vollversammlung: General assembly; involves all members, not a select group.
- Die Alleinentscheidung: Sole decision; decision made by one person, not a body.
⚠️ Similar-sounding words:
- Der Kommentar: Comment, commentary (sounds vaguely similar but unrelated meaning).
😂 A Little Joke
Warum treffen sich Komitees immer so früh am Morgen?
Damit sie länger darüber diskutieren können, was sie zum Mittagessen bestellen sollen! 😉
(Why do committees always meet so early in the morning?)
(So they have more time to discuss what to order for lunch!) 😉
📜 A Little Poem
Das Komitee, schlau und gewandt,
Nimmt die Probleme fest in die Hand.
Mit Kaffee und Plan,
Geht es voran.
Die Entscheidung fällt, wohlüberlegt,
Bis jedes Detail ist gepflegt.
(The committee, clever and skilled,
Takes the problems firmly in hand.
With coffee and plan,
It moves ahead.
The decision is made, well-considered,
Until every detail is tended.)
❓ A Riddle for You
Ich bin eine Gruppe, doch kein Verein,
Treffe Entscheidungen, mal groß, mal klein.
Man bildet mich für einen Zweck,
Setzt mich auf manchen heiklen Fleck.
Mein Artikel ist sächlich, neutral und klar.
Was bin ich wohl? Na, wunderbar!
(I am a group, but not a club,
Make decisions, sometimes big, sometimes small.
I am formed for a purpose,
Placed in many a tricky spot.
My article is neuter, neutral and clear.)
(What am I? Well, wonderful!)
Solution: Das Komitee (The committee)
🌐 More Interesting Facts
Word Origin: The word "Komitee" comes from the French word comité, which in turn derives from the Latin committere, meaning 'to entrust' or 'to bring together'. This reflects the function of a committee, which is entrusted with a task.
Compounds (Wortzusammensetzungen): The word often forms the basis for more specific terms, such as:
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Komitee?
The word "Komitee" is a noun of neuter gender (Neutrum). Therefore, the correct article is always das: das Komitee. The plural is die Komitees.