die
Sendung
📺📦 What exactly is a Sendung?
The word die Sendung (plural: die Sendungen) is a feminine noun in German and primarily has two meanings:
Broadcast (TV or radio program): A single program or a regularly aired format on television or radio. Example: Die Nachrichten sind meine Lieblingssendung. (The news is my favorite show.) 📰
Shipment / Consignment: Something that is being sent, usually a parcel, letter, or a delivery of goods. Example: Die Sendung ist heute Morgen angekommen. (The shipment arrived this morning.) 🚚
The context usually makes it clear which meaning is intended. Look for signal words like im Fernsehen (on TV), im Radio (on the radio) or per Post (by mail), geliefert (delivered).
Article rules for der, die, and das
-ung → always feminine.
There are many -ung words, we won't list them all. There are only a few exceptions.
📖 Grammar Compass for die Sendung
Die Sendung is a feminine noun. It is declined as follows:
| Case | Definite Article | Indefinite Article |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die Sendung | eine Sendung |
| Genitive | der Sendung | einer Sendung |
| Dative | der Sendung | einer Sendung |
| Accusative | die Sendung | eine Sendung |
| Case | Definite Article | Indefinite Article |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die Sendungen | keine Sendungen |
| Genitive | der Sendungen | keiner Sendungen |
| Dative | den Sendungen | keinen Sendungen |
| Accusative | die Sendungen | keine Sendungen |
Example Sentences
- Meaning 1 (Program): Hast du die gestrige Sendung gesehen? (Did you see yesterday's show?)
- Meaning 1 (Program): Die neue Staffel der Sendung beginnt nächste Woche. (The new season of the show starts next week.)
- Meaning 2 (Shipment): Der Postbote hat eine Sendung für dich abgegeben. (The mailman dropped off a delivery/parcel for you.)
- Meaning 2 (Shipment): Der Status meiner Sendung ist noch "unterwegs". (The status of my shipment is still "in transit".)
🗣️ Using die Sendung in Everyday Life: When to Say What?
The use of die Sendung strongly depends on the context:
- In a media context: When talking about television or radio, it almost always refers to a broadcast. People talk about Nachrichtensendungen (news programs), Sportsendungen (sports programs), Unterhaltungssendungen (entertainment shows), etc. Here, it's a synonym for Programm (program) or Ausstrahlung (broadcast).
- In a logistics and postal context: When it concerns sending or receiving items, Sendung refers to the object itself (Paket/parcel, Brief/letter, Palette/pallet) or the process of sending/receiving. Synonyms here are Lieferung (delivery), Paket (parcel), Fracht (freight), Post (mail). People talk about Warensendung (goods shipment), Büchersendung (book shipment), Paketsendung (parcel shipment).
⚠️ Important: Although the verb "senden" can mean both "to broadcast" (TV/radio) and "to send/ship" (mail), the context usually helps avoid confusion with the noun "die Sendung".
Comparison:
- Das Programm: Often more general than Sendung, can refer to the entire broadcast schedule.
- Die Ausstrahlung: Emphasizes the act of broadcasting in the media context.
- Die Lieferung: Emphasizes the act of delivering goods.
- Das Paket: Specifically refers to a packaged item for shipping.
🧠 Memory Aids for Sendung
Article Mnemonic: The ending "-ung" almost always makes nouns feminine (die). Think of: Die Sendung is like die invitation (feminine ending pattern in English sometimes corresponds) - or simply remember most '-ung' words are 'die'. Imagine die wonderful TV-Sendung.
Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine you *send* signals through the air (TV/radio = Sendung) or you *send* a package through the mail (postal = Sendung). The verb "senden" (to send/broadcast) connects both meanings.
🔄 Related Words and Opposites of Sendung
Synonyms
- For TV/Radio Program:
- Die Ausstrahlung (the broadcast)
- Das Programm (the program)
- Die Übertragung (the transmission/broadcast)
- Die Show (Anglicism, the show)
- For Postal/Goods Shipment:
- Die Lieferung (the delivery)
- Das Paket (the parcel/package)
- Die Fracht (the freight/cargo)
- Die Zustellung (the delivery/postal delivery)
- Die Warensendung (shipment of goods, specific postal term)
Similar Words (Caution!)
- Der Sender: The sender/broadcaster (the person or entity sending something - TV station, sender of a letter).
- Die Sendepause: Broadcasting break/intermission.
😂 A Little Joke about Sendung
German: Warum hat der Postbote aufgehört, Witze zu erzählen? Seine Pointen kamen nie gut an – die meisten waren unzustellbare Sendungen!
English: Why did the mailman stop telling jokes? His punchlines never arrived well – most of them were undeliverable shipments (Sendungen)! 📦😅
✍️ Poetic Moments with Sendung
Die Sendung kommt
Ob spät am Abend, hell und klar,
Eine Sendung ist für alle da.
Im Fernsehen Bilder, bunt und laut,
Auf die man gerne lange schaut.
Doch auch als Päckchen, klein und fein,
Kann eine Sendung Freude sein.
Der Bote klingelt an der Tür,
Was drin ist, weißt gleich nur noch dir!
The Broadcast/Shipment Arrives
Whether late at night, bright and clear,
A Sendung is for everyone here.
On TV pictures, colorful and loud,
That one gladly watches in a crowd.
But also as a parcel, small and neat,
A Sendung can be a joyful treat.
The delivery person rings the bell,
What's inside, soon only you can tell!
❓ What Am I? A Riddle about Sendung
German:
Ich komme per Funk oder Kabel ins Haus,
Manchmal sehe ich wie Nachrichten aus.
Ich komme auch per Post, mit Band und Papier,
Bringe Grüße oder Waren zu dir.
Was bin ich?
English:
I come via radio waves or cable to your house,
Sometimes I look like the daily news.
I also come by post, with tape and paper near,
Bringing greetings or goods to you, my dear.
What am I?
Solution: die Sendung
ℹ️ More Than Just a Word: Sendung
Word Formation:
The word Sendung is derived from the verb senden (to send / to broadcast) using the suffix -ung. This suffix is commonly used in German to form feminine nouns from verbs, describing the process or result of the action (e.g., warnen -> die Warnung / warning, liefern -> die Lieferung / delivery).
Specific Types of Sendungen:
- Nachrichtensendung: News broadcast.
- Sportsendung: Sports program.
- Warensendung: A specific, often cheaper, postal rate for shipping goods in Germany.
- Live-Sendung: A live broadcast.
- Eilsendung: An express delivery/shipment.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Sendung?
The word "Sendung" is always feminine, so it's die Sendung. It means either a TV/radio broadcast or a postal shipment/delivery.