das
Reglement
📝 What exactly is 'das Reglement'?
The German word das Reglement (neuter gender) refers to a set of rules, regulations, or provisions that bindingly define procedures, behavior, or responsibilities within a specific area. It often denotes formal, written rules.
You frequently find Reglements in:
- Organisations (clubs, companies)
- Authorities and administrations (Dienstreglement - service regulations)
- Sports (Wettkampfreglement - competition rules)
- Military contexts
It is always neuter: das Reglement. ⚠️ Be careful not to confuse it with the French word "règlement", which can also mean "payment", although the meaning "regulation" clearly dominates in German usage.
Article rules for der, die, and das
-ment → mostly neutral.
Caution: Nouns with '-ent' are often masculine.
✍️ Grammar in Detail: Das Reglement
The noun "Reglement" is neuter (sächlich). Here is its declension:
Singular Declension
| Case (Kasus) | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Wer/Was?) - Subject | das | Reglement |
| Genitive (Wessen?) - Possessive | des | Reglements |
| Dative (Wem?) - Indirect Object | dem | Reglement |
| Accusative (Wen/Was?) - Direct Object | das | Reglement |
Plural Declension
| Case (Kasus) | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Reglements |
| Genitive | der | Reglements |
| Dative | den | Reglements |
| Accusative | die | Reglements |
Example Sentences
- Das neue Reglement des Vereins wurde einstimmig angenommen.
(The club's new regulations were adopted unanimously.) - Alle Mitarbeiter müssen sich an das interne Reglement halten.
(All employees must adhere to the internal regulations.) - Im Reglement steht genau, wie der Wettkampf abläuft.
(The regulations specify exactly how the competition proceeds.) - Verstöße gegen das Reglement können zu Strafen führen.
(Violations of the regulations can lead to penalties.)
🔍 When to use 'das Reglement'?
"Das Reglement" is typically used in more formal contexts when referring to established rules or regulations. It often sounds more official or bureaucratic than the word die Regel (the rule).
- Official Context: In statutes, contracts, official instructions (e.g., Dienstreglement - service regulations).
- Sports: To define the precise rules of a competition or sport (e.g., das FIFA-Reglement - the FIFA regulations).
- Organizations: For internal codes of conduct or procedural guidelines.
Comparison with similar words:
- Die Regel: More general, often less formal. Can also refer to a single rule.
- Die Vorschrift: Similar to Reglement, often official or legal.
- Die Satzung: Specifically the founding and organizational rules of an association or corporation.
- Die Bestimmung: Often a specific clause within a larger set of regulations or laws.
"Reglement" usually implies a more comprehensive set of rules for a particular area.
🧠 Memory Aids for 'das Reglement'
For the article (das): Remember that many German nouns ending in "-ment" are neuter (das Instrument, das Dokument, das Argument). While there are exceptions, it's a good rule of thumb. Imagine: Das big book containing the whole Reglement.
For the meaning (set of rules): Think of the word's components: Regle-ment sounds a bit like "Regel-meant" or "Rules-meant". It signifies a system of rules that are meant to be followed.
🔄 Related and Opposite Terms
Synonyms (similar meaning):
- Die Vorschrift: Regulation, rule; often a single instruction but can be a set.
- Das Regelwerk: Rulebook, set of rules; emphasizes the collection.
- Die Satzung: Statute, articles of association; specific to clubs, foundations etc.
- Die Ordnung: Order, rules; e.g., Hausordnung (house rules), emphasizes the orderly state.
- Die Bestimmung: Provision, clause; often a single rule within a larger work.
- Das Statut: Statute; similar to Satzung, often international or for organizations.
Potential confusion: Don't mix up "Reglement" with "Regierung" (government) or "Regime" (often negative term for a system of rule).
🤣 A Little Joke
Warum hat der Bürokrat das Reglement mit ins Bett genommen?
Damit er unter der Decke alles nach Vorschrift macht! 😄
Translation: Why did the bureaucrat take the regulations to bed with him?
So he could do everything 'by the book' under the covers!
📜 A Little Poem
Das Reglement, es steht geschrieben,
was man darf und was geblieben.
Im Sport, im Amt, im Verein,
soll alles wohl geordnet sein.
Folgt man ihm nicht, Punkt für Punkt,
wird's manchmal leider ziemlich bunt.
Translation:
The regulations, they are written,
what's allowed and what's forbidden.
In sports, in office, in the club,
all should be well-ordered, rub-a-dub.
If you don't follow, point by point,
things sometimes get quite out of joint.
❓ What am I?
Ich bin eine Sammlung, doch kein Album für Bilder.
Ich schaffe Ordnung, mache Abläufe milder.
Man findet mich oft auf Papier, ganz adrett,
im Sport, im Büro, im Korsett.
Ich sage dir, was du tun musst und sollst.
Mein Artikel ist sächlich, wie du sicher schon vermutest?
Translation:
I am a collection, but not an album for pictures.
I create order, make procedures milder.
You often find me on paper, quite neat,
in sports, in the office, like a corset's sheet.
I tell you what you must and should do.
My article is neuter, as you surely guessed, it's true?
Solution: das Reglement
💡 Trivia about 'das Reglement'
Word Origin: The word "Reglement" comes from French. It derives from règlement, which also means "regulation", "order", or "rule". The French word, in turn, comes from régler ("to regulate", "to order").
Compound Words: You can also find "Reglement" in compound German words, such as:
- Dienstreglement: Service regulations (often military or administrative).
- Wettkampfreglement: Competition rules.
- Vereinsreglement: Club regulations.
Although borrowed from French, it is firmly established in standard German.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Reglement?
The German word "Reglement" is always neuter. The correct article is das: das Reglement (the regulations), des Reglements (of the regulations), die Reglements (the regulations - plural).