die  Ansage

A2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈanzɑːɡə/

📣 What Exactly is 'die Ansage'?

The word die Ansage (feminine) has several meanings, mostly centered around communication or instruction:

• Official announcement/Notification: Often via loudspeakers, e.g., at a train station ("Beachten Sie die Ansage für Gleis 5!" - Pay attention to the announcement for platform 5!) or at events.
• Clear instruction/Demand: A distinct, sometimes stern instruction or demand. ("Mein Chef hat mir eine klare Ansage gemacht, bis wann das Projekt fertig sein muss." - My boss gave me clear instructions on when the project must be finished.)
• (Colloquial) Challenge/Declaration: A confident statement of one's own intentions, often in a competitive context. ("Mit diesem Tor hat der Stürmer eine echte Ansage an die Konkurrenz gemacht." - With this goal, the striker made a real statement to the competition.)
• In card games: Declaring a bid or the trump suit (e.g., in the game Skat).

⚠️ Pay attention to the context to understand the correct meaning.

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar of 'die Ansage'

Die Ansage is a feminine noun. It is declined as follows:

Declension Singular

Declension Plural

📝 Usage Examples

• Die Ansage des Schaffners war kaum zu verstehen. (The conductor's announcement was hard to understand.)
• Ich hörte der Ansage aufmerksam zu. (I listened carefully to the announcement.)
• Er machte eine klare Ansage. (He made a clear statement/gave clear instructions.)
• Wir warten auf weitere Ansagen. (We are waiting for further announcements.)

🗣️ When to Use 'die Ansage'?

The use of die Ansage highly depends on the context:

• Public spaces & Transport: Usually refers to public address announcements (train station, airport, supermarket). Example: "Bitte beachten Sie die nächste Ansage." (Please pay attention to the next announcement.)
• Work & Everyday life: Often used as a synonym for a clear instruction or a firm statement. Example: "Nachdem niemand aufgeräumt hat, gab es eine deutliche Ansage vom Chef." (After nobody cleaned up, there were clear instructions from the boss.) This often implies a certain level of authority.
• Sports & Competition: As an expression of self-confidence and challenge. Example: "Sein Sieg war eine klare Ansage an die Favoriten." (His victory was a clear message/challenge to the favorites.)
• Card games: Purely technical term for naming the game type or trump suit.

Distinction from similar words:

• Ankündigung (announcement): Often more neutral, less demanding than an Ansage. Usually announces a future event.
• Bekanntmachung (notice, proclamation): More formal and often written, e.g., on a notice board.
• Anweisung (instruction, order): Very direct and often hierarchical (top-down).

The phrase "eine klare Ansage machen" is a fixed idiom meaning to say or demand something unequivocally.

🧠 How to Remember 'die Ansage'

For the article 'die': Imagine an important Ansage (announcement) being made by a woman (die Frau). Many German nouns ending in '-e' are feminine (die). Think of die speaker making die Ansage.

For the meaning: An Ansage is something someone wants to sagen (to say) – clearly and distinctly, like an instruction or announcement. You sag(en) something an (on, implying publicly or directly).

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms for 'Ansage'

⚠️ Similar Words (Potential Confusion):

• Absage: Rejection, cancellation.
• Zusage: Acceptance, confirmation.

😄 A Little Joke

Warum machen Geister so schlechte Ansagen am Bahnhof?
(Why do ghosts make such bad announcements at the train station?)

Weil man immer durch sie durchhört! 👻
(Because you can always hear right through them! - A pun on 'durchhören' = listen through and 'durch sie hören' = hear through them)

📜 Ansage in Verse

Am Bahnsteig, laut und klar,
(On the platform, loud and clear,)
erschallt die Ansage, wunderbar.
(the announcement rings out, wonderful.)
Der Zug, er kommt, pünktlich heut,
(The train, it comes, punctual today,)
die Info freut die Pendlerleut'.
(the info pleases the commuter folk.)

Doch auch im Leben, streng und fest,
(But also in life, stern and firm,)
gibt's manchmal 'ne Ansage, die sitzt perfekt.
(there's sometimes an instruction that fits perfectly.)
Kein Zögern mehr, kein leises Wort,
(No more hesitation, no quiet word,)
eine klare Linie, hier und dort.
(a clear line, here and there.)

❓ Little Riddle

Ich komme oft aus einem Lautsprecher,
(I often come from a loudspeaker,)
manchmal bin ich streng, manchmal ein Wecker.
(sometimes I'm strict, sometimes an alarm clock.)
Im Spiel sag ich, was Trumpf wird sein,
(In a game, I say what the trump suit will be,)
und fordere heraus, mal groß, mal klein.
(and issue challenges, sometimes big, sometimes small.)

Was bin ich?
(What am I?)

Lösung: die Ansage
(Solution: the announcement/instruction)

💡 More About 'Ansage'

Word Formation:

The word Ansage is derived from the verb ansagen. It consists of the prefix "an-" (indicating direction or initiation) and the verb "sagen" (to say). So, it literally means to "say on" or announce something.

Fixed Expressions:

• Eine klare Ansage machen: To make a clear statement, to lay down the law.
• Das ist mal eine Ansage!: An expression of admiration or surprise at a bold statement or achievement (That's quite a statement!).

Cultural Context:

Directness is often valued in Germany. Therefore, a "klare Ansage" (clear statement/instruction) can be perceived positively as efficient and honest, as long as it's not rude.