das  Quorum

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈkvoːʁʊm/

🎯 What does 'das Quorum' mean?

Das Quorum (neuter noun) refers to the minimum number of members of an organization, committee, or assembly that must be present to make valid decisions. It ensures the body is capable of making decisions (die Beschlussfähigkeit).

Without reaching the Quorum, votes or decisions are generally non-binding or invalid. The exact number required for a Quorum is often specified in statutes (die Satzungen), rules of procedure (die Geschäftsordnungen), or laws (die Gesetze).

🚨 Note: The word comes from Latin and is used as a neuter noun in German: das Quorum.

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar Spotlight: Declension of Quorum

The noun 'Quorum' is neuter (sächlich). It is declined as follows:

Example Sentences

1. Die Sitzung konnte nicht beginnen, da das Quorum nicht erreicht wurde.
   (The meeting could not begin because the quorum was not reached.)
2. Laut Satzung beträgt das Quorum für Vorstandswahlen 50 Prozent der Mitglieder.
   (According to the statutes, the quorum for board elections is 50 percent of the members.)
3. Der Versammlungsleiter stellte die Beschlussfähigkeit fest, nachdem er das Quorum überprüft hatte.
   (The chairperson confirmed the quorum after checking it.)
4. Die Festlegung unterschiedlicher Quoren für verschiedene Arten von Beschlüssen ist üblich.
   (Setting different quorums for different types of decisions is common.)

💬 When to use 'das Quorum'?

'Das Quorum' is mainly used in formal contexts, especially in:

• Politics: Parliamentary sessions (die Parlamentssitzungen), committee meetings (die Ausschusssitzungen)
• Associations/Clubs (Vereinswesen): General meetings (die Mitgliederversammlungen), board meetings (die Vorstandssitzungen)
• Business (Wirtschaft): Supervisory board meetings (die Aufsichtsratssitzungen), shareholder meetings (die Hauptversammlungen)
• Law (Recht): Court proceedings with multiple judges
• Administration (Verwaltung): Committee or panel meetings (die Gremiensitzungen)

It's a technical term closely related to the concept of Beschlussfähigkeit (the state of being able to make decisions). One talks about the Quorum being 'reached' (erreicht), 'missed' (verfehlt), 'established' (festgestellt), or 'checked' (überprüft).

Comparison: While 'Beschlussfähigkeit' describes the state (Is the committee quorate?), 'Quorum' refers to the specific number or proportion required to achieve that state.

🧠 Mnemonics and Memory Aids

Article 'das': Think of other neuter German words for committees or rules: das Gremium (the committee), das Komitee (the committee), das Parlament (the parliament), das Statut (the statute). They all sometimes need das Quorum.

Meaning: Imagine you need a core group of people (sounds a bit like Quor-) for an important meeting. You need a minimum number, the Quorum, for any decisions to count. You need the 'core' amount!

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

⚠️ Similar but different terms:

• Mehrheit (majority): Refers to the proportion of votes in favor of a resolution (e.g., simple majority - einfache Mehrheit, absolute majority - absolute Mehrheit), whereas the Quorum relates to presence or participation threshold.

😂 A Little Joke

Warum war der Mathematiker bei der Vorstandssitzung so entspannt?
(Why was the mathematician so relaxed at the board meeting?)

Er wusste: Ohne das Quorum kommt eh kein Ergebnis raus!
(He knew: Without the quorum, no result would come out anyway!)

📜 A Short Poem about the Quorum

Die Stühle leer, die Uhr sie tickt,
(The chairs are empty, the clock it ticks,)
Die Sitzung zögert, leicht geknickt.
(The meeting hesitates, slightly bent.)
Man zählt die Köpfe, prüft die Zahl,
(Heads are counted, the number checked,)
Erreicht man heut' das Quorum wohl?
(Will the quorum be reached today?)
Denn ohne dies, so ist's bestimmt,
(Because without it, it's ordained,)
Kein Votum gilt, die Zeit verrinnt.
(No vote is valid, time slips away.)

❓ Riddle Time

Ich bin eine Zahl, doch keine zum Rechnen im Spiel.
(I am a number, but not for calculating in a game.)
Ich bin nötig, damit eine Abstimmung hat Stil.
(I am needed so a vote has style/validity.)
Bin ich zu niedrig, ist die Entscheidung nichtig und leer.
(If I'm too low, the decision is void and empty.)
In Satzungen steh' ich, mal leicht und mal schwer.
(I stand in statutes, sometimes easy and sometimes hard [to reach].)

Was bin ich?
(What am I?)

Lösung / Solution: das Quorum

💡 More Interesting Facts

Etymology (Word Origin):

The word 'Quorum' comes directly from Latin. It is the genitive plural of the relative pronoun qui ('who', 'which') and literally means "of whom". Its modern use originates from a Latin phrase used in certain British commissions (e.g., for Justices of the Peace): "quorum [Name] unum esse volumus" – "of whom we wish [Name] to be one". This stipulated that specific named individuals had to be present for the group to be competent to act. From this, the modern meaning of the necessary minimum number developed.