das  Personal

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/pɛʁzoˈnaːl/

👥 What exactly is "das Personal"?

Das Personal (neuter, article: das) refers to the entirety of the employees working in a company, authority, or organization. It's a collective noun (Kollektivum or Sammelbegriff) and is generally used in the singular, even when referring to multiple people.

Essentially, das Personal means the staff, the personnel, or the workforce as a whole.

🚨 Attention: Although it refers to people, the article is das (neuter), not die (which would be the plural for persons). It describes the group as a single entity.

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar Deep Dive: Das Personal

Das Personal is a noun of neuter gender (Neutrum). It is almost exclusively used in the singular because it's a collective noun.

Declension Singular

Declension Plural

A plural form of Personal (die Personale) is very uncommon and usually avoided. Instead, people use paraphrases like "die Belegschaften verschiedener Firmen" (the workforces of different companies) or talk about "die Mitarbeiter" (the employees).

📝 Example Sentences

1. Das gesamte Personal wurde über die Änderungen informiert.
   (The entire staff was informed about the changes.)
2. Die Schulung des Personals ist für nächste Woche geplant.
   (The training of the personnel is planned for next week.)
3. Wir müssen neues Personal einstellen.
   (We need to hire new personnel.)
4. Dem Personal wurden neue Uniformen zur Verfügung gestellt.
   (New uniforms were provided to the staff.)

💼 When and How to Use "Personal"?

Das Personal is mainly used in more formal contexts, especially in:

• Companies & Business: Talking about the workforce, personnel planning (Personalplanung), personnel costs (Personalkosten).
• Administration & Authorities: Official term for employees.
• Service Sector: e.g., the staff (das Personal) in a hotel, hospital, or restaurant.

Difference from "Mitarbeiter":

• Das Personal: Refers to the group as a whole, often from the perspective of management or the organization. It's more impersonal.
• Der/Die Mitarbeiter/in: Refers to one or more individual persons within the group. It's more personal.

Typical Collocations:

• qualifiziertes Personal (qualified staff)
• Personal einstellen / entlassen / suchen (to hire / fire / look for personnel)
• Personal fehlt (staff shortage, lit. 'personnel is missing')
• das fliegende Personal (flight crew)
• das medizinische Personal (medical staff)

💡 Mnemonics for "das Personal"

Article Mnemonic: Think of "das Team" or "das Kollektiv" (the collective). Both are groups and neuter (sächlich), just like das Personal. It's ONE entity, even with many people – hence singular and das.

Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine all the PerSONs from ALl departments forming das Personal. The ending "-al" sounds a bit like 'material' – a resource for the company.

🔄 Similar and Contrasting Terms

⚠️ Confusing Words:

• persönlich (adjective): Means 'personal', private (e.g., ein persönliches Gespräch - a personal conversation). Unrelated to staff/personnel.

😂 A Little Joke

Fragt der Chef sein Personal: "Wer von Ihnen glaubt, er sei faul?"
Melden sich alle bis auf einen.
Fragt der Chef den einen: "Und Sie? Glauben Sie nicht, dass Sie faul sind?"
Sagt der Mitarbeiter: "Nein, ich war nur zu faul, mich zu melden."

Translation:

The boss asks his staff: "Which of you thinks they are lazy?"
Everyone raises their hand except for one person.
The boss asks that one person: "And you? Don't you think you're lazy?"
The employee replies: "No, I was just too lazy to raise my hand."

✍️ Poem about the Personnel

Das Personal, ein starkes Band,
arbeitet fleißig, Hand in Hand.
Vom Büro bis zur Werkstatt-Tür,
gemeinsam schaffen, das ist hier. Mal laut, mal leise, jeder zählt,
damit dem Unternehmen nichts fehlt.
Ein Kollektiv, neutral und klar,
das Personal ist immer da.

Translation:

The personnel, a strong bond tight,
works diligently, with all their might.
From office desk to workshop door,
creating together, wanting more.
Sometimes loud, sometimes low, every person counts,
so the company lacks no amounts.
A collective, neutral and clear,
das Personal is always here.

❓ Little Riddle

Ich bin eine Gruppe, doch im Singular steh' ich meist hier.
Ich arbeite für Lohn in Büro, Fabrik, bei Tier.
Mein Artikel ist sächlich, obwohl ich aus Menschen besteh'.
Wer bin ich, die Belegschaft, die du im Betrieb kannst seh'n?

Translation:

I am a group, but mostly stand in singular form here.
I work for wages in office, factory, or with deer (animals - context).
My article is neuter, although I consist of people, it's clear.
Who am I, the workforce, that you can see in the business sphere?

Solution: das Personal

ℹ️ Other Interesting Facts

• Word Origin: The word "Personal" comes from the Late Latin adjective personalis ("personal"), which in turn derives from the Latin persona ("mask", later "person", "role").
• Compounds: It forms part of many important terms in working life, such as:
  • Personalabteilung (HR department)
  • Personalausweis (ID card)
  • Personalmangel (staff shortage)
  • Personalchef/in (head of HR)
  • Personalkosten (personnel costs)