das
Votum
🗳️ What does "das Votum" mean?
Das Votum (noun, neuter) mainly refers to two things:
- The result of a vote or election: Here it signifies the collective decision or outcome achieved by casting votes. Example: Das Votum der Aktionäre war eindeutig. (The shareholders' vote was clear.)
- An expressed opinion, statement, or expert opinion: Especially in formal or technical contexts, *Votum* can also mean an individual or collective opinion or recommendation. Example: Der Expertenausschuss gab ein positives Votum ab. (The expert committee gave a positive assessment/opinion.)
It is often used in political, legal, or business contexts.
Article rules for der, die, and das
Many foreign words → mostly neutral.
There are many foreign words, we won't list them all.
-um → mostly neutral.
Caution: Nouns with '-aum' are always masculine.
🧐 Grammar Deep Dive: Declension of "das Votum"
"Votum" is a neuter noun and always uses the article "das". It follows the strong declension pattern.
| Case | Definite Article | Indefinite Article |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Nom) | das Votum | ein Votum |
| Genitive (Gen) | des Votums | eines Votums |
| Dative (Dat) | dem Votum | einem Votum |
| Accusative (Acc) | das Votum | ein Votum |
| Case | Definite Article | Indefinite Article |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Nom) | die Voten | Voten |
| Genitive (Gen) | der Voten | Voten |
| Dative (Dat) | den Voten | Voten |
| Accusative (Acc) | die Voten | Voten |
📝 Example Sentences
- Das Parlament fällte sein Votum erst nach langer Debatte.
(The parliament made its decision/vote only after a long debate.) - Das Votum des Gutachters war für die Entscheidung maßgeblich.
(The expert's opinion/assessment was decisive for the decision.) - Die verschiedenen Voten der Ausschussmitglieder wurden protokolliert.
(The various opinions/votes of the committee members were recorded.) - Wir warten gespannt auf das Votum der Jury.
(We are eagerly awaiting the jury's verdict/decision.)
💡 How is "das Votum" used?
"Das Votum" belongs to a more elevated or formal register. You will often find it in the following contexts:
- Politics: In votes within parliaments, committees, or during elections (e.g., Misstrauensvotum - vote of no confidence).
- Law: Judgments or opinions of judges or juries.
- Business: Decisions made at shareholder meetings or by supervisory boards.
- Academia/Expertise: Assessments or recommendations from expert commissions.
Distinction from similar words:
- Die Stimme: Refers to the individual vote cast by a person (*Er gab seine Stimme ab.* - He cast his vote.) or the human voice.
- Die Abstimmung: Refers to the process or act of voting (*Die Abstimmung beginnt um 10 Uhr.* - The voting begins at 10 am.).
- Das Votum: Refers more to the result of the vote or a formal statement/opinion.
⚠️ Avoid using "Votum" in everyday conversation for a simple opinion among friends; it often sounds overly formal.
🧠 Mnemonics to Help Remember
Article Mnemonic for das Votum
Think of "das Votum" like "the neutral outcome". A vote aims for an objective, neutral result. Neutral things in German often take "das" (e.g., das Ergebnis - the result, das Urteil - the judgment). So, the Votum is das result.
Meaning Mnemonic
Imagine someone shouting "The VOTe is the ultimatUM!" after a decision is made. The Votum concludes the debate and presents the result or formal opinion. Or simply focus on the English word "vote" clearly audible in Votum.
🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms (similar meaning):
- For voting result: das Abstimmungsergebnis (result of vote), der Entscheid (decision), der Beschluss (resolution), das Ergebnis (result)
- For statement/opinion: die Stellungnahme (statement, position), das Gutachten (expert opinion, report), das Urteil (judgment, verdict), die Empfehlung (recommendation), die Meinung (opinion - in a formal sense)
Antonyms (opposite meaning):
Direct antonyms are difficult. Possible context-dependent opposites could be:
- die Unentschiedenheit (indecision)
- die Stimmenthaltung (abstention)
- die Uneinigkeit (disagreement)
- die Indifferenz (indifference)
⚠️ Similar, but different words:
😂 A Little Joke
Warum nehmen Politiker Scheren mit zur Abstimmung?
Damit sie beim Votum gut abschneiden können! 😉
Translation: Why do politicians take scissors to the vote? So they can make a good cut/perform well! (It's a pun: "gut abschneiden" means both "to cut well" and "to perform well").
📜 A Short Poem
Im Saal wird's still, die Spannung steigt,
wer dafür ist, wer dazu schweigt?
Die Stimmen zählen, eins, zwei, drei,
das Votum kommt – vorbei, vorbei
die lange Debatte, das Ringen schwer,
die Entscheidung steht, nun ist es her.
Translation:
The hall grows quiet, tension mounts,
Who is for it, who just recounts?
The votes are tallied, one, two, three,
The Votum arrives – set finally free
from long debate, the heavy fight,
The decision's made, brought into light.
❓ Riddle Time
Ich bin das Ende einer Wahl,
ob positiv, ob ganz neutral.
Ich kann auch eine Meinung sein,
von Experten, klar und rein.
In Politik und Recht bekannt,
wer hat meinen Namen schnell erkannt?
Translation:
I am the end of an election,
Whether positive or neutral reflection.
I can also be an opinion stated,
By experts, clearly deliberated.
Known in politics and law's domain,
Who quickly recognized my name?
Lösung/Solution: das Votum
🤓 Other Information
Word Origin (Etymology):
The word "Votum" comes from the Latin word votum, which originally meant "vow", "wish", or also "vote in an election". It is related to the Latin verb vovere ("to vow", "to consecrate").
Compound Words (Wortzusammensetzungen):
Well-known compounds with "Votum" include:
- Das Misstrauensvotum: A vote of no confidence in parliament to withdraw confidence from the government.
- Das Sondervotum: A dissenting opinion of a committee member attached to a majority decision.
- Das Expertenvotum: The statement or expert opinion of specialists.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Votum?
The German word 'Votum' is neuter, so the correct article is always 'das': das Votum. It refers to a vote result or a formal opinion/statement.