die  Rezeption

B1

Estimated CEFR level.

/ʁɛpt͡si̯oˈn/

🛎️ What does "die Rezeption" mean?

The word die Rezeption (feminine) has several meanings:

• The reception desk/area: This is the most common meaning. It refers to the counter or area in a hotel, practice, office, or other facility where visitors are received, checked in, or informed. Example: Melden Sie sich bitte an der Rezeption. (Please check in at the reception desk.)
• The reception (as an event): It can also mean a formal event or social gathering, often after an official ceremony. Example: Nach der Trauung gab es eine Rezeption im Garten. (After the wedding ceremony, there was a reception in the garden.) (Here, "Empfang" is also often used).
• The reception/acceptance: In a figurative or academic sense, Rezeption means the reception or adoption of ideas, works of art, theories, etc., by an audience or the professional world. Example: Die Rezeption des neuen Romans war überwiegend positiv. (The reception of the new novel was predominantly positive.)

🚨 Important: Although "Empfang" can often be used synonymously, "Rezeption" is more strongly associated with the physical place (desk/area) or academic/cultural reception.

🧐 Grammar of "die Rezeption"

"Rezeption" is a feminine noun. The article is always die.

Declension

Example Sentences

• Nominative: Die Rezeption ist im Erdgeschoss. (The reception desk is on the ground floor.)
• Genitive: Die Öffnungszeiten der Rezeption sind von 8 bis 20 Uhr. (The opening hours of the reception are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.)
• Dative: Ich habe den Schlüssel an der Rezeption abgegeben. (I handed in the key at the reception.)
• Accusative: Sie suchen die Rezeption? Gehen Sie bitte geradeaus. (Are you looking for the reception? Please go straight ahead.)
• Plural: In großen Hotels gibt es oft mehrere Rezeptionen. (In large hotels, there are often multiple reception desks.)
• Meaning (Acceptance): Die Rezeption seiner Forschungsergebnisse in der Fachwelt war kontrovers. (The reception of his research findings in the professional world was controversial.)

🗣️ How to use "Rezeption"?

• Everyday use (Place): Most commonly, "Rezeption" is used for the reception desk in hotels, doctor's offices, or companies. This is where you check in, get information, or receive keys. Example: "Wo ist die Rezeption? Ich möchte einchecken." (Where is the reception desk? I'd like to check in.)
• Formal occasions (Event): Less common, but correct, is its use for a formal reception or gathering. Example: "Der Bürgermeister lud zur Rezeption ins Rathaus." (The mayor invited guests to a reception at the town hall.) However, "Empfang" is more common in this context.
• Academic/Cultural context (Acceptance): In academic or cultural contexts, "Rezeption" describes how something (e.g., a book, a law, a theory) is received and interpreted. Example: "Die Rezeption antiker Philosophie im Mittelalter." (The reception of ancient philosophy in the Middle Ages.)

Comparison with "Empfang":

• "Empfang" is broader. It can mean the place (Rezeption), the event (Feier), the technical process (signal reception), or the welcome itself.
• "Rezeption" is more specific to the place (desk) or the intellectual/cultural acceptance.

🧠 Mnemonics for Rezeption

Article Mnemonic (die): Nouns ending in "-ion" in German are almost always feminine (die). Think of: die Aktion (action), die Station (station), and imagine a friendly woman (die Frau) working at die Rezeption.

Meaning Mnemonic (Place/Acceptance): The word sounds very similar to the English "reception". Imagine being at the hotel "reception" (Rezeption) and having good phone "reception" (Empfang). For the second meaning, think about how a work of art is "received" by the audience – that's its Rezeption.

↔️ Synonyms & Antonyms

⚠️ Similar but different words:

• Das Rezept: Means recipe or prescription. Sounds similar but has a completely different meaning!

😂 A little Joke

German: Kommt ein Mann zur Rezeption im Hotel und fragt: "Haben Sie noch ein Zimmer frei?" Sagt die Rezeptionistin: "Nein, leider sind wir komplett ausgebucht." Fragt der Mann: "Okay, wenn jetzt George Clooney käme, hätten Sie dann ein Zimmer für ihn?" Rezeptionistin: "Ja, natürlich, für George Clooney hätten wir immer ein Zimmer!" Mann: "Super, dann geben Sie mir seins. Er kommt nämlich nicht!"

English Translation: A man comes to the hotel reception and asks, "Do you have a room available?" The receptionist says, "No, unfortunately, we are completely booked." The man asks, "Okay, if George Clooney arrived now, would you have a room for him?" Receptionist: "Yes, of course, we would always have a room for George Clooney!" Man: "Great, then give me his. He's not coming!"

📜 Poem about the Rezeption

German:
Im Hotel, hell und fein,
tritt man durch die Türe ein.
Der erste Weg, ganz ohne Frage,
führt zur Rezeption, an dieser Lage.
Hier gibt's den Schlüssel, Information,
ein Lächeln oft als Addition.
Ob für Geschäfte oder Reise,
sie hilft auf ihre eigne Weise.

English Translation:
In the hotel, bright and fine,
One steps inside through the door's line.
The first path, without a doubt,
Leads to the reception roundabout.
Here you get the key, information,
A smile often as an addition.
Whether for business or leisure's phase,
It helps in its very own ways.

❓ Riddle

German:
Ich habe einen Tresen, doch verkaufe nichts.
Ich habe Personal, doch bin kein Chef.
Ich gebe Schlüssel aus, doch hab kein Schloss.
Man meldet sich bei mir, wenn man neu ist im Haus.

Wer oder was bin ich? ... Die Rezeption

English Translation:
I have a counter, but sell nothing.
I have staff, but am not a boss.
I issue keys, but have no lock.
You check in with me when you're new in the house.

Who or what am I? ... The reception desk

💡 Other Information

• Etymology: The word comes from the Latin receptio, meaning "reception" or "taking in" (from recipere = to take in, receive).
• Compounds: Common compounds include Rezeptionist/Rezeptionistin (receptionist), Rezeptionsbereich (reception area), Rezeptionstheorie (reception theory, in literary/art studies).