die  Relation

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ʁelaˈt͡si̯oːn/

📖 What exactly is a Relation?

Die Relation (feminine, plural: die Relationen) refers to a relationship, a connection, or a link between two or more people, things, facts, or abstract quantities. The term is often used in a more formal, objective, or scientific context.

• General: A connection or link (e.g., die Relation zwischen Ursache und Wirkung - the relation between cause and effect).
• Interpersonal: A relationship (often in a business or more formal sense, e.g., gute Relationen zu den Geschäftspartnern pflegen - to cultivate good relations with business partners). It's used less frequently for close personal relationships than the word "Beziehung".
• Mathematics/Logic: A relationship between elements of sets (e.g., eine Äquivalenzrelation - an equivalence relation).
• Databases: A table in a relational database system.

🚨 Since "Relation" ends in "-ion", like most such nouns, it is feminine (die Relation).

🧐 Grammar in Detail: die Relation

The noun "Relation" is feminine.

💡 Example Sentences

1. Die Relation zwischen den beiden Variablen ist offensichtlich. (The relation between the two variables is obvious.)
2. Wir untersuchen die Natur der Relation zwischen diesen Konzepten. (We are investigating the nature of the relation between these concepts.)
3. Mit der Relation zu diesem Kunden müssen wir vorsichtig umgehen. (We must handle the relation with this customer carefully.)
4. Der Professor erklärte die Relation im Detail. (The professor explained the relation in detail.)
5. Die geschäftlichen Relationen haben sich verbessert. (The business relations have improved.)
6. Trotz der komplexen Relationen fanden sie eine Lösung. (Despite the complex relations, they found a solution.)
7. Das Unternehmen arbeitet an seinen internationalen Relationen. (The company is working on its international relations. - Dative Plural, often with preposition 'an')
8. Er analysierte die Relationen zwischen den Datensätzen. (He analyzed the relations between the datasets.)

🗣️ How to use "Relation"?

"Relation" is frequently used in more formal or specific contexts:

• Science & Research: Describing connections, dependencies, or mathematical relationships. (die Relation zwischen Temperatur und Druck - the relation between temperature and pressure)
• Business & Politics: Referring to (often international or business) relationships. (die diplomatischen Relationen verbessern - to improve diplomatic relations)
• Philosophy & Logic: Examining relationships between concepts or entities.
• Data Processing: As a technical term for tables in relational databases.

In everyday language for personal relationships, "die Beziehung" or "das Verhältnis" are more common. "Relation" can sound a bit distant or dated in this context, unless referring to family relationships in the plural (die verwandtschaftlichen Relationen - the familial relations).

Comparison:

• Die Relation: Often more objective, formal, abstract. Focuses on the connection itself.
• Die Beziehung: More common for personal, emotional connections, but also used for objective links.
• Das Verhältnis: Can denote personal relationships (often with an emotional nuance, e.g., ein gutes Verhältnis haben - to have a good relationship/rapport) as well as proportions or mathematical ratios.

🧠 Mnemonics for Relation

Mnemonic for the Article (die)

Think of 'die Situation' or 'die Nation' – words ending in '-ion' in German are almost always feminine, just like die Relation! It describes a connection, a feminine function.

Mnemonic for the Meaning (relationship, connection)

A Relation shows a correlation – it relates things to each other, showing their constellation. Connecting A and B is its mission.

↔️ Synonyms and Antonyms

⚠️ Similar but different words

• Die Ratio / Rationalität: Refers to reason, not relationship. (reason, rationality)
• Relativ: Adjective meaning 'relative' or 'comparative'.

😂 A little Joke

Fragt der Mathematiker seine Frau: "Schatz, wie würdest du unsere Relation beschreiben?"
Sie: "Transitiv! Wenn du mich liebst und ich den Hund liebe, dann liebst du auch den Hund!"

Translation:
The mathematician asks his wife: "Honey, how would you describe our relation?"
She: "Transitive! If you love me and I love the dog, then you also love the dog!"

📜 Poem about Relation

Die Relation, fein und klar,
verbindet, was getrennt einst war.
Ob Zahl, ob Mensch, ob Wort, ob Sinn,
sie stiftet den Zusammenhangssinn.
Im Business knüpft sie feste Bande,
bringt Partner aus fernem Lande.
In Logik scharf, präzis und rein,
so soll die Relation stets sein.

Translation:
The relation, fine and clear,
connects what once was separate here.
Be it number, person, word, or sense,
it creates coherence, makes immense
sense. In business, it ties firm bands,
brings partners from distant lands.
In logic sharp, precise, and clean,
so the relation should always be seen.

❓ Little Riddle

Ich habe keinen Körper, doch verbinde ich viel,
bin in der Logik, im Geschäft und im Spiel.
Mal bin ich die Tabelle, mal der feine Draht,
mal zeig' ich Verwandtschaft, Grad für Grad.

Was bin ich?

Translation:
I have no body, yet I connect much,
I'm in logic, in business, and in play as such.
Sometimes I'm the table, sometimes the fine wire,
Sometimes I show kinship, higher and higher.

What am I? Solution: Die Relation (The Relation)

🌐 Further Information

Etymology: The word "Relation" comes from the Latin word relatio, meaning "carrying back", "reporting", or also "relationship". It is related to the verb referre ("to carry back", "to report", "to relate to").

Technical Language: The term is established in many specialized fields:

• Mathematics: Eine Teilmenge des kartesischen Produkts zweier Mengen. (A subset of the Cartesian product of two sets.)
• Database Theory: Eine Tabelle in einem relationalen Datenbanksystem (z. B. SQL). (A table in a relational database system, e.g., SQL.)
• Linguistics: Semantische oder grammatische Beziehungen zwischen Wörtern oder Satzteilen. (Semantic or grammatical relationships between words or sentence parts.)
• Sociology/Political Science: Beziehungen zwischen Individuen, Gruppen oder Staaten (z. B. internationale Relationen). (Relationships between individuals, groups, or states, e.g., international relations.)