die  Ankunft

A2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈankʊnft/

🛂 What Does "die Ankunft" Mean?

Die Ankunft (noun, feminine) means arrival. It refers to the act or time of someone or something arriving at a specific place or reaching their destination. It's the opposite of die Abfahrt (departure by train/bus/ship) or die Abreise (departure of people).

• ✈️ Example (Travel): Die Ankunft des Zuges ist für 15:30 Uhr geplant. (The train's arrival is scheduled for 3:30 PM.)
• 📦 Example (Delivery): Wir erwarten die Ankunft des Pakets morgen. (We expect the package's arrival tomorrow.)
• 🏁 Example (Event): Die Ankunft der Läufer im Ziel wurde bejubelt. (The arrival of the runners at the finish line was cheered.)

The word is often used in the context of travel (train, plane, ship), but also figuratively (e.g., the arrival of a new era). There are no common pitfalls as it only takes the article "die".

Article rules for der, die, and das

📚 Grammar Corner: Declining "die Ankunft"

"Ankunft" is a feminine noun. Here are the declension tables:

Singular

Plural

💡 Example Sentences

1. Wir feiern seine Ankunft mit einer kleinen Party. (We celebrate his arrival with a small party.) - Accusative Singular
2. Der Zeitpunkt der Ankunft ist noch ungewiss. (The time of arrival is still uncertain.) - Genitive Singular
3. Nach der Ankunft gingen wir direkt ins Hotel. (After arrival, we went straight to the hotel.) - Dative Singular
4. Die Tafel zeigt alle Ankünfte und Abfahrten. (The board shows all arrivals and departures.) - Nominative Plural
5. Wegen der vielen Ankünfte war der Flughafen überfüllt. (Because of the many arrivals, the airport was crowded.) - Genitive Plural
6. Wir müssen uns auf die bevorstehenden Ankünfte vorbereiten. (We have to prepare for the upcoming arrivals.) - Accusative Plural

🗺️ When and How to Use "Ankunft"?

"Die Ankunft" is primarily used in the following contexts:

• Travel and Transport: This is the most common use. It refers to the arrival of a train (Zug), plane (Flugzeug), bus (Bus), ship (Schiff), or people at a destination.
  • Example: Bitte beachten Sie die geänderte Zeit der Ankunft auf Gleis 5. (Please note the changed arrival time on platform 5.)
  • Example: Nach langer Reise war die Ankunft im Hotel eine Erleichterung. (After a long journey, the arrival at the hotel was a relief.)
• Logistics and Delivery: When goods (Waren), packages (Pakete), or letters (Briefe) reach their destination.
  • Example: Bestätigen Sie bitte die Ankunft der Ware. (Please confirm the arrival of the goods.)
• Events and Points in Time: The arrival at an event or the beginning of a time period.
  • Example: Die Ankunft des Frühlings wird sehnsüchtig erwartet. (The arrival of spring is eagerly awaited.)

Distinguishing from similar words:

• das Eintreffen: Very similar, often interchangeable, perhaps slightly more neutral than Ankunft. (Das Eintreffen der Gäste verzögerte sich. - The arrival of the guests was delayed.)
• der Eingang: Refers more to the arrival/receipt of mail, payments, or information, less often to people or vehicles. (Der Eingang Ihrer Bewerbung wurde bestätigt. - The receipt of your application has been confirmed.)
• die Landung: Specifically for the arrival (landing) of an aircraft or spacecraft.

Generally, "Ankunft" describes the end of a movement towards a destination.

🧠 Mnemonics for "die Ankunft"

Article Mnemonic (die)

Many German nouns ending in -kunft are feminine (take the article "die"). Think of:

• die Ankunft (arrival)
• die Zukunft (future)
• die Herkunft (origin)

Mnemonic sentence: "Die future (Zukunft) determines die arrival (Ankunft) of die origin (Herkunft)." (A bit quirky, but it links them!)

Meaning Mnemonic (Arrival)

The word is composed of "an" (prefix, often meaning 'towards' or 'at a place') and "Kunft" (an old noun related to 'kommen', to come).

So: An + Kunft ≈ arriving / the state of having arrived.

Imagine you come an (at/to) a place – that's your Ankunft (arrival).

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

⚠️ Similar but Different Words

• die Zukunft: Looks similar (ends in -kunft), but means 'future'.
• die Herkunft: Looks similar, but means 'origin'.
• die Unterkunft: Looks similar, but means 'accommodation' or 'lodging'.

😂 A Little Joke

Auf Deutsch: Fragt der Schaffner den Reisenden: "Ist das Ihr Koffer?" Reisender: "Vielleicht." Schaffner: "Was heißt hier vielleicht?" Reisender: "Na ja, die Ankunft meines Gepäcks ist laut Fluglinie erst morgen!"

In English: The conductor asks the traveller: "Is this your suitcase?" Traveller: "Maybe." Conductor: "What do you mean, maybe?" Traveller: "Well, according to the airline, the arrival of my luggage is only scheduled for tomorrow!"

📜 Poem About Arrival

Auf Deutsch:
Der Zug rollt ein, die Reise endet,
ein letzter Blick, der sich abwendet
von Schienen, die ins Weite führ'n,
man spürt's an allen Bahnsteigtür'n.

Die Ankunft naht, ein leises Wort,
am lang ersehnten Ziel, dem Ort.
Ein Koffer rollt, ein Herz pocht schnell,
willkommen hier, auf dieser Stell'.

In English:
The train rolls in, the journey's done,
A final glance, away it's spun
From tracks that lead to far-off lands,
Felt now at all the platform stands.

The arrival's near, a whispered sound,
At the long-awaited spot, the ground.
A suitcase rolls, a heart beats fast,
Welcome here, arrived at last.

❓ Riddle

Auf Deutsch:
Ich bin das Ende einer Reise,
mal laut erwartet, mal ganz leise.
Züge und Flieger bringen mich dir,
am Bahnhof oder Flughafen hier.

Was bin ich?
... Die Ankunft

In English:
I am the end of a journey's way,
Sometimes awaited loudly, sometimes gray.
Trains and planes bring me to you,
At the station or airport, it's true.

What am I?
... Arrival (Die Ankunft)

✨ Other Interesting Tidbits

Word Composition

The word "Ankunft" is composed of:

• an-: A preposition and common verb prefix, here indicating the direction 'towards' or reaching a point.
• Kunft: An old noun derived from the verb "kommen" (to come). It rarely exists on its own today but survives in compounds like Ankunft, Zukunft (future), Herkunft (origin), Unterkunft (accommodation).

Trivia

• Airports (Flughäfen) and train stations (Bahnhöfe) usually have separate areas for "Ankunft" (arrivals) and "Abflug/Abfahrt" (departures).
• The word can also be used metaphorically, e.g., "die Ankunft neuer Technologien" (the arrival of new technologies).