das  Rating

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈʁeɪtɪŋ/

📊 What does 'das Rating' mean?

The word 'das Rating' is a loanword from English (an Anglizismus) and generally means an assessment, classification, or evaluation. It's used in various contexts:

• Finance: Here, 'das Rating' usually refers to the creditworthiness assessment of companies, countries, or financial products (e.g., by Ratingagenturen like Standard & Poor's, Moody's). A good rating facilitates borrowing.
• Media/Products: Evaluation of films, books, hotels, products, services, etc., often using stars, points, or grades.
• General: Any form of systematic classification or assessment based on specific criteria.

It is a noun of neuter gender (sächlich).

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 The Grammar of 'das Rating'

'Das Rating' is a neuter noun. It is usually declined as follows:

💡 Example Sentences

1. Das Rating des Unternehmens wurde herabgestuft.
   (The company's rating was downgraded.)
2. Wie ist das Rating für diesen neuen Film?
   (What's the rating for this new movie?)
3. Viele Kunden achten auf die Ratings, bevor sie ein Produkt kaufen.
   (Many customers look at the ratings before buying a product.)
4. Die Agentur veröffentlichte die neuesten Ratings für europäische Banken.
   (The agency published the latest ratings for European banks.)

🌐 How to Use 'das Rating'

'Das Rating' is primarily used in specific professional fields but has also entered everyday language:

• In Finance: Very common in connection with loans, bonds, and the assessment of companies or countries (e.g., Kreditrating, Länderrating, AAA-Rating).
• In Media and Consumption: For assessing films (Filmrating), series, games, books, hotels (Hotelrating), restaurants, products (Produktbewertung), and apps.
• On the Internet: Online review portals make extensive use of 'Ratings' (often as star ratings).

Distinction: While 'Bewertung' or 'Beurteilung' are more general German terms, 'Rating' is often used for a standardized, often quantitative classification, especially in economic or international contexts. 'Die Rate', on the other hand, refers to an installment payment or a frequency/speed (e.g., die Herzrate - heart rate, die Inflationsrate - inflation rate).

🧠 Mnemonics for 'das Rating'

For the article: Think of neuter concepts like das System, das Ergebnis (the result), das Urteil (the judgment). A rating is a type of result or judgment system, hence das Rating.

For the meaning: Imagine you are advising ('beraten' in German, sounds a bit like 'Rating') on a scale – you give something a classification, i.e., a rating.

🔄 Synonyms and Related Terms

Watch out for similar words:

• Die Rate: Means installment or rate/frequency (e.g., die Herzrate - heart rate, die Inflationsrate - inflation rate). Not to be confused with 'das Rating'!
• Der Rat: Means advice/recommendation or council (e.g., Stadtrat - city council).

😄 A Little Joke

Warum hat die Ratingagentur dem Bäcker ein schlechtes Rating gegeben?
Weil seine Bilanzen immer so krümelig waren! 😄

(Why did the rating agency give the baker a bad rating?
Because his balance sheets were always so crumbly!)

✍️ Rating in Rhyme

Ein Klick, fünf Sterne hell,
das Rating kommt, und zwar ganz schnell.
Ob Film, ob Buch, ob Restaurant,

Im Finanzmarkt, kühl und klar,

(A click, five stars so bright,
the rating comes, with all its might.
For film, or book, or place to eat,
opinion counts, can't be beat.)

(In finance world, cool and clear,
it shows the credit, year by year.
A rating good, what happy luck,
opens doors, gets things unstuck.)

❓ A Little Riddle

Ich messe Wert, doch hab kein Maßband.
Ich stufe ein, in Stadt und Land.
Banken fürchten meine Noten,
Kunden lieben meine Quoten.

Was bin ich?

(I measure value, but have no tape measure.
I classify, in city and country.
Banks fear my grades,
Customers love my scores/quotes.

What am I?) (Answer: Das Rating)

💡 Trivia about 'das Rating'

• Origin: The word comes directly from the English verb "to rate" and the noun "rating".
• Compounds: It forms many compound words, e.g., Kreditrating (credit rating), Länderrating (country rating), Filmrating (film rating), Usability-Rating (usability rating), Top-Rating (top rating), Negativrating (negative rating).
• Pronunciation: Usually pronounced similarly to English: [ˈʁɛɪ̯tɪŋ].