die  Bekanntmachung

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/bəˈkantmaχʊŋ/

📣 What is a 'Bekanntmachung'?

The German word die Bekanntmachung (feminine, article: die) refers to a public announcement, notice, or proclamation. It often carries an official or formal character and serves to inform a broader public or a specific group about something important.

Typically, you'll find *Bekanntmachungen* issued by authorities (*Behörden*), courts (*Gerichte*), companies (*Unternehmen*), or organizations. They can appear in various forms, such as a notice on a board (*Aushang*), in newspapers (*Zeitungen*), in an official gazette (*Amtsblatt*), or online.

There's only this one meaning and the article die. Mix-ups are rare. ⚠️ Be careful not to equate it simply with a *Mitteilung* (message, communication) or *Ankündigung* (announcement), as *die Bekanntmachung* often implies a stronger official or legal background.

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar in Detail: Die Bekanntmachung

The word "Bekanntmachung" is a feminine noun. The article is always die. It is declined like most feminine nouns ending in "-ung".

Declension Singular

Declension Plural

Example Sentences

1. Die amtliche Bekanntmachung wurde im Amtsblatt veröffentlicht.
   (The official announcement was published in the official gazette.)
2. Der Inhalt der Bekanntmachung war für alle Bürger relevant.
   (The content of the announcement was relevant for all citizens.)
3. Gemäß der Bekanntmachung gelten ab morgen neue Regeln.
   (According to the announcement, new rules apply starting tomorrow.)
4. Haben Sie die Bekanntmachung an der Tür gesehen?
   (Did you see the notice on the door?)
5. Alle wichtigen Bekanntmachungen hängen am schwarzen Brett.
   (All important announcements are posted on the notice board.)

When and How to Use "Bekanntmachung"? 📢

The term die Bekanntmachung is primarily used in formal and official contexts:

• Official communications: e.g., new laws (*Gesetze*), regulations (*Verordnungen*), election results (*Wahlergebnisse*).
• Court decisions: e.g., judgments (*Urteile*), public notifications.
• Public tenders: e.g., for construction projects or job openings.
• Company news: e.g., important changes, insolvency proceedings (*Insolvenzverfahren*).
• Club/Association matters: e.g., invitations to member meetings (*Mitgliederversammlungen*), changes to statutes (*Satzungsänderungen*).

Compared to:

• Ankündigung: Often less formal, can also relate to private events (e.g., party announcement).
• Mitteilung: More general term for sharing information, can be formal or informal.
• Verlautbarung: Very formal, often from high-ranking bodies (government, church).

A Bekanntmachung often implies a certain binding force or legal relevance. You are "making something publicly known" (*etwas öffentlich bekannt machen*).

🧠 Memory Aids for "die Bekanntmachung"

Article "die":

Many nouns ending in -ung are feminine (die). Think of: "Die Mitteilung (communication), die Entscheidung (decision), die Veröffentlichung (publication) – die Bekanntmachung fits right in!" Or imagine an important message (*die Nachricht*) being made officially known (*bekannt gemacht*) – that's die Bekanntmachung.

Meaning:

The word is composed of bekannt (known) and machen (to make). So, a Bekanntmachung is the act or result of making something known – usually officially and to many people.

🔄 Similar Words & Opposites: Die Bekanntmachung

⚠️ Potential Confusion!

• Bekanntschaft: Means 'acquaintance' (a person you know) or the state of being acquainted. (Also feminine: die Bekanntschaft) – Has nothing to do with a public announcement.

😂 A Little Joke

Fragt der Chef seine Sekretärin: "Haben Sie die Bekanntmachung über die neue Kaffeemaschine schon ausgehängt?"
Antwortet sie: "Nein, Chef, aber sie kocht schon ganz gut alleine Kaffee!"

Translation:
The boss asks his secretary: "Have you posted the announcement about the new coffee machine yet?"
She replies: "No, boss, but it's already making coffee quite well on its own!"

📜 Poem about Bekanntmachung

Am schwarzen Brett, ganz offiziell,
hängt sie da, ganz aktuell.
Die Bekanntmachung, klar und schlicht,
bringt neues Wissen ans Tageslicht.

Von Regeln, Terminen, wichtigem Kram,
damit jeder Bescheid weiß, Frau und Mann.
Gelesen, notiert, und dann bedacht,
was die Mitteilung uns hat gebracht.

Translation:
On the notice board, quite official,
it hangs there, very current still.
The announcement, clear and plain,
brings new knowledge to light again.

Of rules, dates, important stuff,
so everyone knows, that is enough.
Read, noted, and then contemplated,
what the message has stated.

🧩 Riddle Time

Ich trage den Artikel "die" und bin oft formell,
ich informiere viele Leute, meistens schnell.
Behörden nutzen mich, Gerichte ebenso,
ich mache Wissen öffentlich, mal hier, mal anderswo.

Was bin ich?

Lösung: die Bekanntmachung

Translation:
I carry the article "die" and am often formal,
I inform many people, usually fast and normal.
Authorities use me, courts do too,
I make knowledge public, sometimes here, sometimes for you.

What am I?

Solution: die Bekanntmachung (the announcement/notice)

✨ More Interesting Details

Word Composition:

The word is a compound or derivation:

• bekannt (adjective: known, not strange)
• machen (verb: to make, to do, to cause)
• -ung (suffix used to form nouns from verbs, usually feminine)

Together, this signifies: The process or result of "making known".

Historical Context:

*Bekanntmachungen* played a vital role historically in disseminating laws and regulations long before digital media. Public postings or reading by a town crier were common methods.