das
Meeting
🤝 What Exactly is a Meeting?
Das Meeting (noun, neuter) refers to a planned gathering of people, typically for discussing topics, making decisions, or exchanging information. It's a word adopted from English (an Anglicism) and is widely used, especially in professional and business contexts.
There's only one article for the word Meeting in German: das.
Examples of contexts:
- Ein Team-Meeting zur Projektplanung. (A team meeting for project planning.)
- Ein wöchentliches Meeting zur Abstimmung. (A weekly meeting for coordination.)
- Ein spontanes Meeting, um ein dringendes Problem zu lösen. (An impromptu meeting to solve an urgent problem.)
🚨 Attention: Although there are German equivalents like Besprechung or Sitzung, Meeting is frequently used, sometimes to suggest a more modern or international atmosphere.
Article rules for der, die, and das
Many foreign words → mostly neutral.
There are many foreign words, we won't list them all.
🧐 Grammar in Detail: Declension of 'das Meeting'
Das Meeting is a noun of neuter gender (Neutrum). It is typically strongly declined. The genitive singular can be formed with -s, but in everyday language, circumscriptions are often used instead.
Singular
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | das | Meeting |
| Genitive | des | Meetings |
| Dative | dem | Meeting |
| Accusative | das | Meeting |
Plural
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Meetings |
| Genitive | der | Meetings |
| Dative | den | Meetings |
| Accusative | die | Meetings |
📝 Example Sentences
- Nominative: Das Meeting beginnt um 10 Uhr. (The meeting starts at 10 AM.)
- Genitive: Das Thema des Meetings war die Budgetplanung. (The topic of the meeting was budget planning.) (Alternatively: Das Thema vom Meeting...)
- Dative: Ich bin gerade in einem Meeting. (I am currently in a meeting.)
- Accusative: Wir müssen das Meeting verschieben. (We have to postpone the meeting.)
- Plural: Diese Woche habe ich viele Meetings. (I have many meetings this week.)
🗣️ Everyday Usage: When to Say 'Meeting'?
Das Meeting is primarily used in professional life and within organizations. It often sounds slightly more formal or structured than a simple Treffen (get-together), but less formal than an official Sitzung (session, formal meeting).
- Professional Context: Very common in offices, companies, agencies. ("Ich habe gleich ein Meeting mit dem Kunden." - "I have a meeting with the client soon.")
- Project Work: Standard term for discussions in project teams. ("Im nächsten Meeting besprechen wir die Fortschritte." - "In the next meeting, we will discuss the progress.")
- Distinction from other words:
- Besprechung: Similar meaning, often used as a direct German synonym. Can feel slightly less formal.
- Sitzung: Sounds more formal, often used for committees, boards, councils. ("Die Vorstandssitzung dauerte drei Stunden." - "The board meeting lasted three hours.")
- Treffen: General term for any kind of gathering, including private ones. ("Ich habe ein Treffen mit Freunden." - "I have a meeting/get-together with friends.")
- Konferenz: Larger, often multi-day event with lectures and discussions.
⚠️ Sometimes the term Meeting is used excessively, leading to phenomena like "Meetingitis" – the feeling of having too many unproductive meetings.
🧠 Mnemonics and Memory Aids
For the article 'das': Imagine das Meeting as a neutral event (neuter gender), a thing on the agenda – das Event, das Meeting. Or think of the English "it" (neuter) for an event: "It's a meeting!" -> "Es ist das Meeting!" Remember that many loanwords ending in '-ing' that describe an event or activity are neuter (das Training, das Shopping, das Camping).
For the meaning: The word sounds just like the English "meet" with the "-ing" suffix, often used for ongoing actions or events. Remember: People come together to meet – that's a Meeting.
🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms for Das Meeting
Synonyms (Similar Words)
- Besprechung: Very common German synonym, often interchangeable.
- Sitzung: More formal, often for official bodies.
- Treffen: More general, also for private gatherings.
- Konferenz: Conference, larger event.
- Zusammenkunft: Gathering, planned get-together.
- Runde: Round (of talks), often informal discussion group.
Antonyms (Opposites)
- Einzelarbeit: Individual work.
- Pause: Break (from work or a meeting).
- Selbststudium: Self-study.
- Feierabend: End of the workday.
Risk of Confusion?
While the meaning is clear, pronunciation might potentially be confused with similarly sounding words by non-native speakers, though this is rare. The context usually makes the meaning unambiguous.
😂 A Little Joke
DE: Warum nehmen Skelette nicht an Meetings teil?
EN: Why don't skeletons attend meetings?
DE: Weil sie keinen „Körper“ haben, um dabei zu sein!
EN: Because they have no body to attend! (Pun on "nobody")
DE (more work-related): Chef: „Wir brauchen dringend ein Meeting, um zu besprechen, warum wir keine Zeit haben, unsere Arbeit zu erledigen.“
EN: Boss: "We urgently need a meeting to discuss why we don't have time to get our work done."
📜 A Poem About Meetings
DE:
Der Kalender ruft, es ist so weit,
Für das Meeting ist es Zeit.
Kaffee bereit, der Bildschirm an,
Man diskutiert nach Plan.
Von Punkt zu Punkt, die Zeit verrinnt,
Hoffentlich man Resultate find't.
Am Ende dann, nach Stund' um Stund',
Tut oft der leere Magen kund:
Das nächste Meeting kommt bestimmt!
EN Translation:
The calendar calls, the time is near,
For the meeting, the moment's here.
Coffee ready, screen alight,
Discussion follows the plan just right.
From point to point, time slips away,
Hoping results will save the day.
At the end, after hour on hour,
Often the empty stomach's power
Proclaims: The next meeting is on its way!
❓ A Little Riddle
DE:
Ich hab' 'nen Zweck, doch oft kein Ziel,
Man redet viel, erreicht nicht viel.
Ich stehle Zeit im Arbeitsleben,
Kann digital und physisch schweben.
Was bin ich?
EN Translation:
I have a purpose, but often no goal,
Much talk occurs, taking its toll.
I steal time in the working day,
Can float digitally or in a physical way.
What am I?
... Das Meeting (The Meeting)
💡 Other Information
Origin: The word Meeting is a direct import from English (from "to meet"). It became established in German primarily after World War II, with the increasing internationalization of business.
Cultural Aspects: The frequency and style of meetings can vary greatly depending on the corporate culture. In some cultures, they are short and goal-oriented; in others, they are more detailed and also serve social exchange.
Compounds: The word is part of many compound nouns, e.g.: Teammeeting (team meeting), Kick-off-Meeting (kick-off meeting), Online-Meeting (online meeting), Stand-up-Meeting (stand-up meeting), Jour fixe (although French, often understood as a regular meeting).
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Meeting?
The word "Meeting" is a loanword from English used for a (professional) discussion or gathering. It has a neuter gender, so the correct article is always das Meeting.