die  Entnahme

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ɛntˈnaːmə/

📖 What does "die Entnahme" mean?

Die Entnahme (noun, feminine) refers to the act of taking something out, removing, or withdrawing something from a specific place, context, or stock. It's the opposite of adding or depositing something.

Typical contexts include:

• 🏦 Finance: Withdrawing money from an account (Geldentnahme).
• 🩸 Medicine: Taking a sample, e.g., blood (Blutentnahme), tissue (Gewebeprobeentnahme), or cells.
• 📦 Warehouse/Stock: Removing goods or materials from a warehouse.
• ⚡ Technology/Energy: Drawing off energy or resources (e.g., Stromentnahme - electricity withdrawal).
• ⚖️ Law: The removal of items, sometimes implying an unlawful act.

It derives from the verb entnehmen (to take out, withdraw, gather).

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar & Declension of Entnahme

The word "Entnahme" is a feminine noun. Its article is die.

📝 Example Sentences

• Die Entnahme von Bargeld am Automaten ist meistens kostenlos. (Withdrawing cash at the ATM is usually free.)
• Für die Untersuchung ist eine Blutentnahme notwendig. (A blood sample is necessary for the examination.)
• Die unbefugte Entnahme von Büromaterial ist nicht gestattet. (The unauthorized removal of office supplies is not permitted.)
• Die Entnahme von Proben aus dem See erfolgt wöchentlich. (Sampling from the lake takes place weekly.)

💡 Context and Usage

"Die Entnahme" is often used in formal or technical contexts.

• In banking, one speaks of Geldentnahme or Bargeldentnahme instead of just "getting money".
• In medicine, Blutentnahme is the standard term for taking blood.
• In logistics, die Entnahme refers to picking items from the warehouse for an order.
• Potential confusion exists with "Übernahme" (takeover) or "Annahme" (acceptance, assumption), which have completely different meanings.

In colloquial German, simpler verbs or paraphrases are often preferred depending on the context (e.g., "Geld abheben" instead of "eine Geldentnahme tätigen", "Blut abnehmen" instead of "eine Blutentnahme durchführen").

🧠 Mnemonics & Memory Aids

Remembering the Article: Most nouns ending in -nahme are feminine (die Ausnahme - exception, die Annahme - acceptance, die Einnahme - income/intake, die Übernahme - takeover...). So, it's also: die Entnahme.

Remembering the Meaning: Think of "Enter = OUT + Nahme = TAKE". The prefix ent- often means "away" or "out", and Nahme comes from "nehmen" (to take). So: taking something away/out.

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

⚠️ Similar but Misleading Words:

• Annahme: Assumption or acceptance.
• Übernahme: Takeover (of a company), taking over (a task).
• Einnahme: Income, revenue; intake (of medicine).

😂 A Little Joke

Warum hat der Geldautomat schlechte Laune? Weil er ständig Entnahmen erleiden muss und nie eine Einzahlung als Dankeschön bekommt! 😉
(Why is the ATM in a bad mood? Because it constantly has to suffer withdrawals and never gets a deposit as a thank you!)

✍️ Poem about Entnahme

Vom Konto, schnell und ohne Frage,
erfolgt die tägliche Entnahme.
Auch beim Arzt, es muss halt sein,
nimmt man Blut, ganz fein.
Aus dem Lager, Stück für Stück,
Entnahme bringt's zum Kundenglück.

(From the account, quick and without question,
occurs the daily withdrawal.
Also at the doctor's, it must be done,
they take blood, very finely.
From the warehouse, piece by piece,
Removal brings customer bliss.)

🤔 A Little Riddle

Ich bin ein Akt, kein fester Ort,
mal nehm' ich Geld, mal Waren fort.
Im Labor brauchst du mich sehr,
für Proben komme ich daher.

Was bin ich?
... Die Entnahme

(I am an act, not a fixed place,
Sometimes I take money, sometimes goods away.
In the lab, you need me much,
For samples, I come as such.

What am I?
... The withdrawal/removal/sampling (Die Entnahme))

🧩 Other Information

Word Composition:

The word "Entnahme" is composed of:

• The prefix ent-: This prefix often expresses separation, removal, or the beginning of a process (as in entfernen - to remove, entziehen - to withdraw, entstehen - to originate).
• The noun Nahme: An archaic form or one used only in compounds, derived from the verb "nehmen" (to take).

Trivia: In German tax law, the term "Eigenentnahme" refers to the withdrawal of goods or services from a business for private use by the owner.