das  Telefonbuch

B1

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈteːlɛfoːnbuːx/

📖 What exactly is a Telefonbuch?

Das Telefonbuch is a directory that lists telephone numbers and often also addresses of people and businesses. Traditionally, it was a printed book, but today there are also many digital versions (Online-Telefonbücher).

Its main purpose is to find contact information. A distinction is often made between:

• Weiße Seiten (White Pages): Entries for private individuals, sorted alphabetically by name.
• Gelbe Seiten (Yellow Pages): Entries for businesses and service providers, sorted by industry (also known as Branchenbuch).

Although the use of printed phone books has declined sharply due to the internet, they still exist and are sometimes used, especially by older generations or for local searches.

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar: The case of the Telefonbuch

The word "Telefonbuch" is a neuter noun (sächliches Substantiv). The article is das. It's a compound word made from "Telefon" and "Buch". Since "Buch" is neuter (das Buch - the book), "Telefonbuch" is also neuter.

💡 Example Sentences

1. Ich suche die Nummer im Telefonbuch.
   I am looking for the number in the phone book. (Accusative Singular)
2. Der Eintrag des Telefonbuchs ist veraltet.
   The entry in the phone book is outdated. (Genitive Singular)
3. Früher lagen dicke Telefonbücher in jeder Telefonzelle.
   In the past, thick phone books were in every phone booth. (Nominative Plural)
4. Kannst du mir bitte das Telefonbuch geben?
   Can you please give me the phone book? (Accusative Singular)

🗣️ How to use "das Telefonbuch"?

The term "Telefonbuch" is used to refer to a directory of phone numbers, whether printed or online.

• Gedrucktes Telefonbuch (Printed phone book): "Hast du noch das alte Telefonbuch von letztem Jahr? Ich brauche eine Nummer."
  "Do you still have the old phone book from last year? I need a number."
• Online-Telefonbuch (Online phone book): "Ich finde die Nummer nicht, schau mal im Online-Telefonbuch nach."
  "I can't find the number, check the online phone book."
• Metaphorically (rare): Sometimes used humorously for a very long list of contacts, e.g., on a mobile phone: "Dein Handy-Adressbuch ist ja ein richtiges Telefonbuch!"
  "Your phone's contact list is a real phone book!"

Context: The relevance of printed phone books is decreasing. When people say "Telefonbuch" today, they often mean the online version unless the context suggests otherwise. It is often used synonymously with "Telefonverzeichnis" (telephone directory).

⚠️ Don't confuse it with an Adressbuch (address book), which might also contain addresses but not necessarily phone numbers and is often more personal (e.g., a private address book).

🧠 Mnemonics to Remember

Article Mnemonic: It's das Buch (the book) where the Telefone (telephones) are listed. Since "Buch" is neuter (das Buch), "Telefonbuch" is also neuter (das Telefonbuch).

Meaning Mnemonic: A Telefon needs a number, the number is in the Buch -> Telefonbuch. Think of the two parts of the word!

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

⚠️ Similar but different words

Adressbuch: Can be a personal notebook for contacts or a general directory of addresses, not necessarily focused on phone numbers.

😂 A little Joke

Fragt der Lehrer: "Wer kann mir sagen, warum das Telefonbuch so dick ist?"
Meldet sich Fritzchen: "Na, weil so viele Leute drin telefonieren!"

Teacher asks: "Who can tell me why the phone book is so thick?"
Little Fritz answers: "Well, because so many people are talking inside it!"

✍️ Poem about the Telefonbuch

Das Telefonbuch, schwer und alt,
\verbarg Geschichten, tausendfalt.
\Von A bis Z, ein Namensmeer,
and man die Nummer, bitte sehr.

Heut' klickt man schnell, im Web geschwind,
\doch wer das alte Buch noch find't,
\hält Nostalgie fest in der Hand,
\aus einem längst vergang'nen Land.

The phone book, heavy and old,
Hid stories, thousandfold.
From A to Z, a sea of names,
One found the number, playing games.

Today we click fast, on the web so quick,
But who still finds the book so thick,
Holds nostalgia tight in hand,
From a long-forgotten land.

❓ Little Riddle

Ich habe viele Namen, aber keine Stimme.
Ich habe viele Nummern, aber kann nicht rechnen.
Ich helfe dir zu verbinden, ohne selbst zu sprechen.

Was bin ich?

I have many names, but no voice.
I have many numbers, but cannot calculate.
I help you connect, without speaking myself.

What am I?

Solution: Das Telefonbuch (The phone book)

🧩 Further Information: Das Telefonbuch in Detail

Word Composition

The word "Telefonbuch" is a compound noun (Kompositum), composed of:

• Das Telefon: Telephone (from Greek tele = far and phone = voice)
• Das Buch: Book

Trivia

• The distinction between "Weiße Seiten" (White Pages - private) and "Gelbe Seiten" (Yellow Pages - business) is common internationally.
• In the past, being listed in the phone book was virtually mandatory for many companies and individuals to be reachable.
• With the rise of mobile phones and the internet, the importance of the classic phone book has significantly declined. Many numbers (especially mobile numbers) are no longer listed at all.