der  Umkreis

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈʊmˌkʁaɪs/

🌍 What Exactly is 'der Umkreis'?

Der Umkreis (masculine) mainly describes two things:

1. An area around a point: It refers to the immediate vicinity or the area surrounding a specific place, city, or object. It's often mentioned with a radius, e.g., "im Umkreis von 10 Kilometern" (within a radius/vicinity of 10 kilometers).
2. (Mathematics/Geometry) The circumcircle: Specifically in geometry, der Umkreis is the circle that passes through all vertices (corners) of a polygon.

It's a compound word from "um" (around) and "Kreis" (circle). The most common everyday meaning is the first one (area/surroundings).

⚠️ Don't directly confuse it with Radius (radius), although it's often used in that context ("im Umkreis von X km"). Der Umkreis describes the area/region, while the radius describes the distance from the center.

🧐 Grammar Spotlight: Der Umkreis

The word "Umkreis" is a masculine noun. Its article is der.

Declension:

💬 Example Sentences

• Die Polizei suchte im weiteren Umkreis nach dem Verdächtigen. (The police searched the wider vicinity for the suspect.)
• Alle Geschäfte im Umkreis von fünf Kilometern haben sonntags geschlossen. (All shops within a five-kilometer radius are closed on Sundays.)
• Der Umkreis dieses Dreiecks berührt alle drei Ecken. (The circumcircle of this triangle touches all three vertices.)
• Wir erweitern unseren Lieferradius auf einen Umkreis von 20 km. (We are expanding our delivery radius to a vicinity of 20 km.)
• Im engeren Umkreis der Unfallstelle staute sich der Verkehr. (Traffic backed up in the immediate vicinity of the accident site.)

🧭 How to Use "Umkreis"?

"Der Umkreis" is frequently used to define a spatial boundary or an area around something.

• Geographical Context: Specifying a distance is very typical: "im Umkreis von X Kilometern/Metern" (within a radius/vicinity of X kilometers/meters). Example: "Wir wohnen im Umkreis von Frankfurt." (We live in the vicinity of Frankfurt.)
• Mathematical Context: In geometry, it refers to the circle enclosing all vertices of a figure. Example: "Der Mittelpunkt des Umkreises eines rechtwinkligen Dreiecks liegt in der Mitte der Hypotenuse." (The center of the circumcircle of a right-angled triangle lies at the midpoint of the hypotenuse.)
• Figurative Context (less common): Sometimes used figuratively for a sphere of influence or social circle. Example: "Sein Einfluss erstreckte sich über einen weiten Umkreis." (His influence extended over a wide sphere/circle.)

Comparison with similar words:

• Kreis: General term for a circular shape or also a group of people. "Umkreis" is more specific to the surroundings.
• Radius: The distance from the center to the edge of a circle. "Im Umkreis von 5 km" means the radius of the area is 5 km.
• Nähe: Refers to proximity but is less precise than "Umkreis". "In der Nähe" (nearby) vs. "Im Umkreis von 1 km" (within a 1 km radius).
• Umgebung/Gegend: Similar to Umkreis (meaning 1), but often less precise and without a fixed distance specification (surroundings/area/region).

💡 Mnemonics to Remember

Article Aid: Think of DER RANGER mapping the area. A ranger (masculine -> der) draws a Kreis (circle) um (around) the zone he protects. That's DER Umkreis.

Meaning Aid: Remember the components: "um" (around) + "Kreis" (circle). Literally, a 'circle around' something, defining its surrounding area or Umkreis.

🔄 Similar and Opposite Terms

⚠️ Potential Confusion: Don't confuse Umkreis with Umlaufbahn (orbit) or simply Kreis (circle as a general shape).

😂 A Little Joke

German: Warum hat der Kreis Angst vor dem Umkreis? Weil er immer um ihn herumschleicht!

English: Why is the circle afraid of the circumcircle/vicinity (Umkreis)? Because it's always creeping around it! (Play on "um... herumschleichen" - to creep around)

📜 Poem about the 'Umkreis'

German:
Ein Punkt in der Mitte, ganz allein,
doch zieht man Linien, fein und rein,
im gleichen Abstand, rundherum,
entsteht ein Raum, nicht krumm und dumm.

Man nennt ihn stolz den Umkreis dann,
wo manches finden kann,
ein Haus, ein Baum, ein Feld, ein Tier,
im nahen, wohlbekannten Revier.

English Translation:
A point in the middle, all alone,
but draw lines, fine and purely shown,
at the same distance, all around,
a space emerges, safe and sound.

It's proudly called the Umkreis then,
where many things find their ken,
a house, a tree, a field, a beast,
in the nearby, well-known precinct's feast.

🤔 Little Riddle

German:
Ich bin kein Punkt, doch hab ein Zentrum oft im Sinn.
Ich bin ein Gebiet, das um etwas anderes liegt, ganz nah.
Man misst mich gern in Kilometern, hier und da.
In der Geometrie umschließ ich Ecken, wunderbar.

Was bin ich?

English:
I'm not a point, though a center's often on my mind.
I am an area that lies around something else, close behind.
People like to measure me in kilometers, of every kind.
In geometry, I enclose corners, wonderfully designed.

What am I?

Solution: Der Umkreis (the vicinity / circumcircle)

🧩 Further Insights

Word Composition (Etymology):

The word "Umkreis" is a clear compound:

• um: A preposition and prefix meaning "around", "surrounding".
• Kreis: A noun meaning "circle", referring to a round geometric shape or a closed area.

Literally, they describe a "circle around something" or the area enclosed by it.

Interesting Note: The precision of the term varies. In everyday language, "im Umkreis von 5 km" (within a 5 km vicinity) is often not meant as a perfect circle, but rather refers more generally to the surroundings within that maximum distance.