die
Abschiebung
🛂 What Does 'die Abschiebung' Mean?
Die Abschiebung (feminine, plural: die Abschiebungen) refers to the forced removal or deportation of a person from a country where they are not a citizen and do not (or no longer) have the right to reside. It's an administrative act based on legal grounds (in Germany, for instance, regulated by the Aufenthaltsgesetz - Residence Act).
The word is almost exclusively used in this legal and political context. It is always feminine, so the article is always 'die'.
Article rules for der, die, and das
-ung → always feminine.
There are many -ung words, we won't list them all. There are only a few exceptions.
📊 Grammar Deep Dive: Declining Abschiebung
'Abschiebung' is a feminine noun ending in '-ung', which is typical for feminine nouns in German. Here's its declension:
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Abschiebung |
| Genitive | der | Abschiebung |
| Dative | der | Abschiebung |
| Accusative | die | Abschiebung |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Abschiebungen |
| Genitive | der | Abschiebungen |
| Dative | den | Abschiebungen |
| Accusative | die | Abschiebungen |
Example Sentences
- Die Abschiebung des abgelehnten Asylbewerbers wurde angeordnet.
(The deportation of the rejected asylum seeker was ordered.) - Nach der Prüfung drohte ihm die Abschiebung.
(After the review, he faced the threat of deportation.) - Die Behörden bereiteten mehrere Abschiebungen vor.
(The authorities prepared several deportations.) - Die Rechtmäßigkeit der Abschiebung wurde vor Gericht angefochten.
(The legality of the deportation was challenged in court.)
🗣️ Using 'Abschiebung' Correctly
The term 'die Abschiebung' is primarily used in the following contexts:
- Law and Administration: In official notices (Bescheide), court proceedings (Gerichtsverfahren), and laws (Gesetze) related to immigration and asylum law.
- Politics: In debates about migration policy (Migrationspolitik), border security (Grenzsicherung), and integration (Integration).
- Media: In reports on individual cases, political decisions, or statistics concerning deportations.
It's a rather formal and often negatively connotated term because it describes a coercive state action. It's less common in everyday colloquial German unless discussing these specific topics. Similar terms like 'Ausweisung' (expulsion order, terminating the right of residence) or 'Rückführung' (repatriation, often used euphemistically for deportation or referring to voluntary return) can have different legal meanings or connotations.
🧠 Mnemonics for 'die Abschiebung'
- Article Mnemonic: Nouns ending in '-ung' in German are almost always feminine. Remember: The ending '-ung' signals 'die'! So, it's die Abschiebung.
- Meaning Mnemonic: Think of the components: 'ab-' means 'away' or 'off', and 'schieben' means 'to push'. An 'Abschiebung' is when someone is 'pushed away' or removed from the country by the state. Away-pushing -> Abschiebung -> Deportation.
🔄 Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms (often with nuances):
- Deportation: The direct English equivalent, often used internationally.
- Ausweisung: Primarily the administrative act terminating the residence permit and setting a deadline to leave; Abschiebung is the forced enforcement if the person doesn't leave voluntarily.
- Rückführung (Repatriation): Can mean forced removal (like Abschiebung) or voluntary/assisted return; often used as a euphemism.
- Zwangsausweisung (Forced expulsion): Emphasizes the coercive nature, synonymous with Abschiebung.
Antonyms (Opposite Concepts):
- Aufnahme (Admission/Reception): The opposite, someone being welcomed or accepted into a country.
- Einbürgerung (Naturalization): Granting of citizenship.
- Duldung (Tolerated stay/Temporary suspension of deportation): Not legal residence, but protection from deportation for a limited time.
- Bleiberecht (Right to stay): Legal permission to remain in the country (e.g., through asylum, residence permit).
😅 A Little Joke
Warum nehmen Beamte bei der Abschiebung immer einen Radiergummi mit?
Damit sie gegebenenfalls einen Fehler ausradieren können!
(Why do officials always take an eraser with them during a deportation?
So they can erase a mistake if necessary!)
📜 A Poem about Abschiebung
Ein Wort, das schwer wiegt, kalt und klar,
Die Abschiebung, oft unnahbar.
Ein Akt des Staates, hart verfügt,
Wenn Bleiberecht nicht mehr genügt.
Ein Schicksal, das die Hoffnung bricht,
Und Menschen trennt im Dämmerlicht.
(A word that weighs heavily, cold and clear,
The deportation, often unapproachable.
An act of state, harshly decreed,
When right to stay no longer meets the need.
A fate that breaks the hope's bright thread,
And separates people in the twilight dread.)
❓ A Little Riddle
Ich bin ein Akt, kein sanfter Gruß,
beende einen Aufenthaltsfluss.
Mit 'die' steh ich im deutschen Satz,
und schaffe oft 'nen leeren Platz.
Was bin ich?
Antwort: Die Abschiebung
(I am an act, not a gentle greeting,
I end a residential meeting.
With 'die' I stand in German grammar's space,
And often create an empty place.
What am I?
Answer: Die Abschiebung (Deportation))
🧩 Other Tidbits
Word Composition: The word 'Abschiebung' is composed of:
- Prefix 'ab-': expressing separation, removal (away).
- Root verb 'schieben': to push, move.
- Suffix '-ung': forms a noun from the verb, often denoting a process or its result.
Thus, the word literally describes a process of 'pushing away' or 'removing'.
Legal Framework: The specific conditions and procedures for an Abschiebung in Germany are defined in the Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) – the Residence Act.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Abschiebung?
The noun 'Abschiebung' is feminine, so the correct article is 'die Abschiebung'. The plural is 'die Abschiebungen'.