die / der  Beauftragte

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/bəˈʔaʊfˌtʁaxtə/

👤 Who or What is a Beauftragte/r?

The word Beauftragte is a nominalized past participle of the verb beauftragen (to commission, to assign, to task someone). It refers to a person who has been officially entrusted with a specific task or function.

It has two grammatical genders, corresponding to the person's gender:

• der Beauftragte: Refers to a male person who has a commission or task. (e.g., der Datenschutzbeauftragte - the male Data Protection Officer)
• die Beauftragte: Refers to a female person who has a commission or task. (e.g., die Gleichstellungsbeauftragte - the female Equal Opportunities Officer)

🚨 Important: The plural form is die Beauftragten and refers to multiple people, regardless of gender.

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar of Beauftragte in Detail

Beauftragte/r is declined like an adjective when used as a noun (nominalized adjective/participle). The declension depends on the presence and type of article (definite, indefinite) or the absence of an article.

Declension of die Beauftragten (plural)

📝 Example Sentences

1. Der Beauftragte für Umweltschutz stellte seinen Bericht vor.
   (The [male] commissioner for environmental protection presented his report.)
2. Wir sprachen mit dem Beauftragten der Firma.
   (We spoke with the company's [male] representative.)
3. Die Beauftragte für Gleichstellung setzt sich für faire Bedingungen ein.
   (The [female] officer for equal opportunities advocates for fair conditions.)
4. Sie ist eine Beauftragte des Vorstands.
   (She is a [female] representative of the board.)
5. Die Beauftragten trafen sich zur Besprechung.
   (The representatives met for the meeting.)

🚀 Usage in Context: When to Use Beauftragte?

The word Beauftragte/r is mainly used in formal and official language, especially in:

• Politics and administration: e.g., Drogenbeauftragte/r (Drug Commissioner), Menschenrechtsbeauftragte/r (Human Rights Commissioner), Wehrbeauftragte/r des Bundestages (Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces).
• Companies and organizations: e.g., Datenschutzbeauftragte/r (Data Protection Officer), Sicherheitsbeauftragte/r (Safety Officer), Compliance-Beauftragte/r (Compliance Officer).
• Associations and institutions: e.g., Jugendbeauftragte/r (Youth Representative), Pressebeauftragte/r (Press Officer).

It always implies an official appointment or a clear mandate (Auftrag) for a specific task or area of responsibility. Unlike a general Vertreter (representative) or Mitarbeiter (employee), a Beauftragte/r has a defined mission.

Alternative terms might be Delegierte/r (delegate), Abgesandte/r (envoy), Kommissar/in (commissioner), or Referent/in (officer/consultant in charge of a specific field), depending on the context. However, Beauftragte/r often emphasizes a specific, sometimes legally required role.

🧠 Mnemonics and Memory Aids

Remembering the Articles: Think of der Beauftragte as the 'dude' (male) representative and die Beauftragte perhaps like a 'diva' or 'dame' (female) with a mission. Connect 'der' to masculine and 'die' to feminine contexts.

Remembering the Meaning: Beauftragte contains the word Auftrag, which means task, assignment, or mission. Picture someone being handed an official-looking 'Auftrag' – they are the Be-AUFTRAG-te, the person tasked with it.

🔄 Synonyms and Antonyms

⚠️ Watch Out for Similar Words:

• Angestellte/r: Employee (someone employed, not necessarily with a specific special commission).
• Beamte/r: Civil servant (a status in public service, doesn't automatically define someone as a Beauftragte/r, although many can be civil servants).

😄 A Little Joke

Fragt der Chef den neuen Datenschutzbeauftragten: "Na, schon eingearbeitet?"
Sagt der Beauftragte: "Ja, aber sagen Sie es bitte nicht weiter!"

(The boss asks the new Data Protection Officer: "Well, settled in already?"
The officer replies: "Yes, but please don't tell anyone!")

📜 A Short Poem

Der Beauftragte, Mann mit Plan,
(The male representative, man with a plan,)
Die Beauftragte, packt es an.
(The female representative, gets it done.)
Mit Auftrag klar und festem Ziel,
(With a clear mission and firm goal,)
Erreichen sie gemeinsam viel.
(Together they achieve a lot.)
Für Recht, für Schutz, für das, was zählt,
(For rights, for protection, for what counts,)
Ein/e Beauftragte/r ist ausgewählt.
(A representative is chosen.)

❓ Riddle Time

Ich habe einen Auftrag, doch bin kein Spion.
(I have a mission, but am not a spy.)
Ich habe eine Funktion, doch sitz nicht auf dem Thron.
(I have a function, but don't sit on the throne.)
Mal bin ich 'der', mal bin ich 'die', je nach Person.
(Sometimes I'm 'der', sometimes 'die', depending on the person.)
Wer bin ich, mit offizieller Mission?
(Who am I, with an official mission?)

Solution: Der/Die Beauftragte (The Representative/Commissioner)

💡 More Facts

Word Formation (Wortbildung):

Beauftragte/r is an example of nominalization (Substantivierung) of a past participle. The verb is beauftragen (to commission).

• be- (prefix, here intensifying or directed towards an object)
• Auftrag (noun: task, mission, commission)
• -en (verb ending)
• Past Participle: beauftragt (commissioned, tasked)
• Nominalization: der/die Beauftragte (formed from the participle)

Many official roles in German are formed this way, e.g., der/die Vorsitzende (the chairperson, from vorsitzen - to preside), der/die Angestellte (the employee, from anstellen - to employ).