die  Ausnahmeregelung

C1

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈaʊsˌnaːməˌʁeːɡəlʊŋ/

📜 What exactly is an Ausnahmeregelung?

The German word die Ausnahmeregelung (feminine noun) refers to a regulation that deviates from a general or usual rule. It represents an exception that applies under specific conditions or for particular cases.

Imagine there's a general rule (e.g., "All shops close at 8 PM"), but then there's an Ausnahmeregelung for train stations or certain holidays allowing longer opening hours. That's die Ausnahmeregelung.

It's often used in legal, administrative, or contractual contexts to address specific situations not covered by the standard norm. It literally translates to "exception regulation".

Article rules for der, die, and das

📊 Grammar in Detail: Die Ausnahmeregelung

The word "Ausnahmeregelung" is a feminine noun. The article is "die". Here is its declension (Deklination):

Example Sentences (Beispielsätze)

1. Für dieses Projekt wurde eine spezielle Ausnahmeregelung getroffen.
   (A special exception rule was made for this project.)
2. Die Behörde prüft, ob die Voraussetzungen für eine Ausnahmeregelung erfüllt sind.
   (The authority checks if the requirements for an exception rule are met.)
3. Ohne eine Ausnahmeregelung hätten wir das Gebäude nicht betreten dürfen.
   (Without an exception rule, we wouldn't have been allowed to enter the building.)
4. Es gibt zahlreiche Ausnahmeregelungen im Steuerrecht.
   (There are numerous exception rules in tax law.)

💡 When to use "Ausnahmeregelung"?

The term "Ausnahmeregelung" is primarily used in formal contexts:

• Law & Administration (Recht & Verwaltung): Laws, ordinances, and official regulations often contain Ausnahmeregelungen for special cases (e.g., special permits in building law).
• Contracts (Verträge): In contracts, Ausnahmeregelungen can define specific deviations from standard conditions.
• General Rules: Even in everyday life or within organizations (e.g., house rules, club statutes), there can be Ausnahmeregelungen.

An Ausnahmeregelung always implies the existence of a more general rule from which it deviates. It's more specific than the term "Ausnahme" (exception) itself, as it refers to an established rule that defines and legitimizes the exception.

⚠️ Don't confuse it with "Ausrede", which is a pretext or excuse to avoid an obligation. An Ausnahmeregelung is an officially intended deviation.

🧠 Mnemonics and Memory Aids

Article Mnemonic: Think of the word "Regelung" (regulation). Words ending in "-ung" in German are almost always feminine (die). Since Ausnahmeregelung ends in "-regelung", it's also feminine: die Ausnahmeregelung.

Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine a line of neatly arranged dominos (the Regel, rule). One domino stands 'Aus' (out) of line, with its own special 'Regelung' (regulation) about when it can fall. That's the Ausnahme-regelung – something outside the norm, following its own specific rule.

🔄 Similar & Opposite: Synonyms and Antonyms

😄 A Little Joke

Warum hat der Bürokrat einen Rettungsring im Büro?
Für die vielen Ausnahmeregelungen, in denen er sonst untergehen würde! 😉

(Why does the bureaucrat have a lifebuoy in the office?
For the many exception rules he would otherwise drown in! 😉)

✍️ Poem about the Regulation

Die Regel steht, für alle klar,
Doch manchmal wird's ganz sonderbar.
Ein kleiner Passus, fein und sacht,
Hat eine Änderung gebracht.

Man nennt's nicht Willkür, nicht Verdruss,
Nein, einen offiziellen Schluss:
Die Ausnahmeregelung tritt ein,
Lässt etwas zu, das sonst wär' Schein.

(The rule stands, clear for all,
But sometimes things get quite peculiar.
A little clause, subtle and gentle,
Has brought about a change.

It's not called arbitrariness, nor annoyance,
No, an official conclusion:
The exception rule comes into effect,
Allows something that would otherwise be mere appearance.)

❓ Little Riddle

Ich bin ein Pfad abseits vom Normenweg,
Ein Sonderrecht auf einem engen Steg.
Im Paragrafendschungel oft zuhaus,
Ich bilde die _______________ - löse mich aus!

(I am a path away from the normal route,
A special right on a narrow footbridge.
Often at home in the jungle of paragraphs,
I form the _______________ - figure me out!)

(Solution: Ausnahmeregelung)

🧩 Word Components and Trivia

The word "Ausnahmeregelung" is a compound noun (Kompositum), composed of:

• Ausnahme: (Noun) exception, something that deviates from the rule. From "ausnehmen" (to take out, to except).
• Regelung: (Noun) regulation, arrangement, the act of setting rules. From "regeln" (to regulate, to arrange).

Together, the meaning is: A regulation that constitutes or establishes an exception.

Trivia: Germans are proverbially known for their love of rules (Regeln), but there are almost as many discussions about necessary or unnecessary Ausnahmeregelungen!