die
Auslieferung
🚚 What exactly does "die Auslieferung" mean?
The word die Auslieferung is a feminine noun and primarily has two meanings:
The handover of goods or products (Delivery): This is the most common meaning in everyday life. It describes the process by which ordered or purchased products are transported and handed over to the recipient.
Example: Die Auslieferung des neuen Sofas erfolgt nächste Woche. (The delivery of the new sofa will take place next week.)
The transfer of a person to another authority or state (Extradition): This meaning is used in legal and political contexts. It refers to the handover of a person suspected or convicted of a crime to the judicial authorities of another country or jurisdiction.
Example: Der mutmaßliche Verbrecher wurde festgenommen, und seine Auslieferung wurde beantragt. (The suspected criminal was arrested, and his extradition was requested.)
⚠️ Pay attention to the context to understand the correct meaning!
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 of "die Auslieferung" in Detail
"Auslieferung" is a feminine noun. The article is always die.
Declension:
| Case | Definite Article | Indefinite Article |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die Auslieferung | eine Auslieferung |
| Genitive | der Auslieferung | einer Auslieferung |
| Dative | der Auslieferung | einer Auslieferung |
| Accusative | die Auslieferung | eine Auslieferung |
| Case | Definite Article | Indefinite Article |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die Auslieferungen | - Auslieferungen |
| Genitive | der Auslieferungen | - Auslieferungen |
| Dative | den Auslieferungen | - Auslieferungen |
| Accusative | die Auslieferungen | - Auslieferungen |
💡 Example Sentences
- Nominative: Die Auslieferung verzögert sich um einen Tag. (Meaning 1: Goods - The delivery is delayed by one day.)
- Genitive: Trotz der beantragten Auslieferung bleibt der Angeklagte vorerst hier. (Meaning 2: Person - Despite the requested extradition, the defendant remains here for now.)
- Dative: Wir stimmen der Auslieferung der Waren zu. (Meaning 1: Goods - We agree to the delivery of the goods.)
- Accusative: Das Gericht prüft die Auslieferung des Verdächtigen. (Meaning 2: Person - The court is examining the extradition of the suspect.)
- Plural: Die Firma musste mehrere Auslieferungen verschieben. (Meaning 1: Goods - The company had to postpone several deliveries.)
When and how to use "Auslieferung"? Context is Key!
The choice of meaning depends heavily on the context:
- Commerce/Logistics Context: Here, die Auslieferung almost always means the delivery of goods. You talk about the Auslieferung of a package, furniture, car, etc. Typical verbs include: erfolgen (to take place), sich verzögern (to be delayed), ankündigen (to announce), bestätigen (to confirm).
- Legal/Political Context: Here, die Auslieferung refers to the transfer of persons to other states or courts (extradition). You talk about the Auslieferung of a criminal or a suspect. Typical verbs include: beantragen (to request), genehmigen (to approve), verweigern (to refuse), zustimmen (to agree to).
Distinction from similar words:
- Lieferung/Zustellung (die): Often used synonymously with goods delivery. Sometimes Lieferung is the general term, and Auslieferung/Zustellung is the final step to the customer.
- Übergabe (die): A more general term that can include Auslieferung but isn't specific (e.g., Übergabe von Dokumenten - handover of documents).
- Überstellung (die): Similar to Auslieferung in a legal context, but can also mean transfer within a country.
🧠 Mnemonics for "die Auslieferung"
Article Mnemonic: Words ending in -ung in German are almost always feminine (die). Think: the delivery (feminine concept in some languages, or just remember the -ung rule!) leads to die Auslieferung.
Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine something being delivered 'AUS' (out) of a warehouse or a country - it's being 'GELIEFERT' (delivered). This could be a package (goods delivery) or a person being 'delivered out' (extradition).
🔄 Synonyms, Antonyms, and Similar Words
Synonyms:
- For goods delivery: Lieferung (delivery), Zustellung (delivery, esp. final step), Übergabe (handover), Versand (shipping - often the preceding process)
- For extradition: Überstellung (transfer - in the legal sense), Rückführung (repatriation - sometimes)
Antonyms:
- For goods delivery: Annahme (acceptance), Empfang (receipt), Abholung (pickup)
- For extradition: Verweigerung der Auslieferung (refusal of extradition), Asylgewährung (granting of asylum - in a broader sense)
Similar, but not identical words:
- Lieferung (die): Can be synonymous, but also encompass the entire logistics process.
- Versand (der): Usually refers to the act of sending the goods, not the final handover.
- Überführung (die): Transport of something (e.g., a body, a vehicle) to another place, or conviction of a perpetrator (proving guilt).
😂 A Little Joke
German: Warum hat der Paketbote geklingelt, obwohl niemand zu Hause war? Er wollte sichergehen, dass die Auslieferung auch wirklich eine Überraschung wird!
English: Why did the delivery driver ring the bell even though no one was home? He wanted to make sure the delivery was really a surprise!
📜 Poem about Auslieferung
German:
Die Ware kommt, es klopft ans Tor,
die Auslieferung steht nun davor.
Ein Päckchen klein, ein Schrank ganz groß,
was man bestellt, das kriegt man los.
Doch anders klingt's bei Recht und Staat,
wenn's um 'ne Person als Straftat geht.
Die Auslieferung, ein ernstes Wort,
bringt manchen an 'nen fremden Ort.
English Translation:
The goods arrive, a knock at the gate,
the delivery now stands and waits.
A package small, a wardrobe grand,
what was ordered is now at hand.
But different it sounds for law and state,
when a person's crime seals their fate.
Extradition, a serious word,
takes some to foreign lands, unheard.
🧩 Riddle
German:
Ich bringe dir, was du bestellt,
ob groß, ob klein, aus aller Welt.
Doch bring ich auch, von Land zu Land,
den Mensch, der Unrecht hat gekannt.
Was bin ich, mal ersehnt, mal schwer?
(Die _______________, bitte sehr!)
English Translation:
I bring you what you have ordered,
whether big or small, from all the world.
But I also bring, from land to land,
the person who has known wrongdoing.
What am I, sometimes desired, sometimes hard?
(The _______________, if you please!)
Solution: Auslieferung
✨ Other Information
Word Composition:
The word "Auslieferung" is composed of:
- Prefix aus-: expresses movement from inside to outside, or an end/completion.
- Verb liefern: to deliver, to hand over.
- Suffix -ung: forms nouns from verbs, usually feminine, often denoting a process or its result.
Together, this creates the meaning of a handover/delivery 'outwards' (to the customer, to another state).
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Auslieferung?
The noun "Auslieferung" is always feminine. The correct article is die Auslieferung. It means either the delivery of goods or the extradition of a person to another jurisdiction.