das  Timing

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈtaɪmɪŋ/

⏱️ What does 'das Timing' mean?

'Das Timing' is a word borrowed from English (an Anglizismus) and primarily refers to two concepts in German:

• Temporal coordination: The coordination of different actions or processes with respect to time. Example: Das Timing der Tänzer war perfekt. (The timing of the dancers was perfect.)
• The right moment: The suitable or opportune moment for an action. Example: Für diesen Witz war das Timing schlecht. (The timing was bad for this joke.)

It is almost exclusively used with the neuter article 'das'. ⚠️ Even though it's an English loanword, it's capitalized in German because it functions as a noun (Substantiv).

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar of 'das Timing' in Detail

The word 'Timing' is a noun and it's neuter (sächlich). The plural form ('die Timings') is very rare and hardly ever used; people usually describe it using phrases like 'unterschiedliches Timing' (different timing) or 'verschiedene Zeitpunkte' (various points in time).

(A plural table is omitted due to its rarity.)

Example Sentences

• Beim Kochen kommt es oft auf das richtige Timing an.
  (When cooking, the right timing is often crucial.)
• Der Erfolg der Präsentation hing stark vom Timing der Redner ab.
  (The success of the presentation heavily depended on the speakers' timing.)
• Mit perfektem Timing fing der Torwart den Ball.
  (With perfect timing, the goalkeeper caught the ball.)
• Wir müssen unser Timing besser abstimmen.
  (We need to coordinate our timing better.)

🎯 How to use 'das Timing'?

'Das Timing' is frequently used in contexts where temporal coordination is crucial:

• Sport: The timing for a jump, a shot, a pass (das Timing beim Absprung, beim Schuss, beim Pass).
• Musik & Theater: The timing of cues, pauses, punchlines (das Timing von Einsätzen, Pausen, Pointen).
• Präsentationen & Reden: The timing of jokes, slide transitions, arguments (das Timing von Witzen, Folienwechseln, Argumenten).
• Alltag (Everyday life): The timing of a surprise, a comment, an investment (das Timing einer Überraschung, eines Kommentars, einer Investition).

It's often more concise than German circumlocutions like 'zeitliche Abstimmung' (temporal coordination) or 'Wahl des richtigen Zeitpunkts' (choice of the right moment), which is why it has become established in common usage. Sometimes 'Zeitgefühl' (sense of time) is used as a synonym, although 'Timing' emphasizes the aspect of coordination or the exact moment more strongly.

🧠 Mnemonics for 'das Timing'

1. Article Mnemonic: Think of 'Timing' as a neutral concept, a 'thing', like 'das Ding' (the thing) or 'das Gefühl' (the feeling). Neutral concepts often take 'das'. Or remember the phrase: Das ist gutes Timing! (That's good timing!)
2. Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine a clock Ti-cking or a stopwatch. Timing relates to measured, precise time – when something happens (Zeitpunkt) or how actions fit together temporally (Abstimmung).

Good timing needs THAT certain something – 'das' knack for the right moment.

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

🚨 Be careful not to confuse it with Termin (appointment, deadline - a fixed time for an event) or Zeitplan (schedule, timetable - a sequence of time points).

😂 A little joke about timing

Warum hat der Komiker seinen Auftritt abgebrochen? Sein Timing war so schlecht, sogar die Stille hat gelacht!

Why did the comedian stop his performance? His timing was so bad, even the silence laughed!

✍️ Poem about Timing

Im Leben, bei Sport und Spiel,
ist gutes Timing oft das Ziel.
Ein Wort zur rechten Zeit gesagt,
ein Schritt im Tanz, der passt, gewagt.

Das Timing, fein und delikat,
entscheidet über Glück und Tat.
Mal schnell, mal langsam, stets bedacht,
hat es schon manchen reich gemacht.
Doch fehlt es dir, das feine Band,
gleitet Erfolg dir aus der Hand.

---

In life, in sports and games we play,
Good timing often leads the way.
A word that's spoken just right then,
A dance step dared, that fits again.

The timing, subtle, fine, and neat,
Decides on fortune and defeat.
Sometimes fast, sometimes slow, with thought,
Much wealth to some, it has brought.
But if you lack this thread so fine,
Success slips through your hand's design.

❓ Riddle Time

Ich bin entscheidend für den Witz,
im Sport der Schlüssel für den Sitz
des Sprungs, des Wurfs, zur rechten Frist.
Bin ich schlecht, geht vieles misst.
Man sagt, ich sei oft Goldes wert,
wenn man mich richtig hat geehrt.

Was bin ich?

---

I am crucial for the joke, you see,
In sports, the key for accuracy
Of jump or throw, when moments call.
If I am bad, things tend to fall.
They say I'm often worth pure gold,
When managed right, brave and bold.

What am I?

Solution: das Timing

💡 Other Information

• Origin: Directly borrowed from English ('timing'). (Herkunft: Direkt aus dem Englischen.)
• Usage: Very common in many fields, especially where performance and precision matter (sports, music, business, comedy). (Verbreitung: Sehr gebräuchlich in vielen Bereichen...)
• Word Formation: Can be part of compound words, e.g., Timing-Problem (timing problem), Timing-Frage (question of timing), perfektes Timing (perfect timing).