die  Sichtung

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈzɪçtʊŋ/

🧐 What does "die Sichtung" mean?

Die Sichtung (noun, feminine) generally describes the act of seeing, spotting, or reviewing/screening something. It primarily has two fields of meaning:

1. Spotting or Observation: This refers to perceiving something (often rare or sought-after) with one's eyes. This often relates to animals, flying objects (like UFOs), or even people.
   • Example: Die erste Sichtung eines Wolfs in dieser Region seit Jahrzehnten. (The first sighting of a wolf in this region for decades.)
2. Reviewing or Screening: In this context, Sichtung means carefully going through materials, data, or documents to find, sort, or evaluate something specific.
   • Example: Die Sichtung der Bewerbungsunterlagen nimmt viel Zeit in Anspruch. (The review of the application documents takes up a lot of time.)

⚠️ It's important to consider the context to understand the correct meaning.

Article rules for der, die, and das

📝 Grammar of "Sichtung" in Detail

The word "Sichtung" is a feminine noun. The article is die. Like many nouns ending in -ung, it is feminine.

Example Sentences

1. Nach der Sichtung der Beweise war der Fall klar. (After the review of the evidence, the case was clear.)
2. Die Sichtung des seltenen Vogels erregte großes Aufsehen. (The sighting of the rare bird caused a great stir.)
3. Mehrere Sichtungen von unbekannten Flugobjekten wurden gemeldet. (Several sightings of unidentified flying objects were reported.)
4. Die sorgfältige Sichtung aller Akten dauerte Tage. (The careful review/screening of all files took days.)

🌐 How to use "die Sichtung"?

The usage of "Sichtung" heavily depends on the context:

• Nature/Wildlife Observation: Very common to describe the first or rare seeing of animals (Wal-Sichtung - whale sighting, Vogel-Sichtung - bird sighting).
• Ufology/Military: Often used for reports of unidentified flying objects or enemy units.
• Archives/Research/HR: Refers to reviewing documents, data, applications, etc. (Sichtung von Lebensläufen - screening of resumes, *Sichtung von historischem Material* - review of historical material).
• General: Can also simply mean "the act of seeing" or "discovery", often with a connotation of being active or targeted.

Distinction from similar words:

• Beobachtung (observation): Similar, but often longer-lasting and more systematic than a single Sichtung.
• Entdeckung (discovery): Emphasizes finding something new or unknown, whereas Sichtung can also be seeing something known.
• Durchsicht/Prüfung (review/examination): Similar to the second meaning of Sichtung, but possibly even more thorough or formal.
• Besichtigung (visit, inspection): Refers to viewing a place or object (e.g., an apartment, a museum), not a fleeting perception or reviewing documents.

💡 Mnemonics for "Sichtung"

Article Mnemonic: The ending "-ung" is (almost) always a strong signal for a feminine article (die). Think of: die Landung (the landing), die Zeitung (the newspaper), die Meinung (the opinion)... and thus also die Sichtung.

Meaning Mnemonic: The word contains Sicht (sight). A Sichtung is the act (-ung) of sighting – either sighting something with your eyes (seeing/observing) or sighting through material (reviewing/screening).

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

🚨 Beware of similar words:

• Besichtigung (visit, tour, inspection): Refers to viewing places/objects (e.g., eine Wohnung besichtigen - to view an apartment).
• Einsicht (insight, access): Refers to understanding or the right to view documents (Akteneinsicht - access to files).

😂 A Little Joke

Warum tragen Ufologen immer eine Leiter mit sich herum?

Damit sie bei einer Sichtung auf Augenhöhe sind! 😉

(Why do UFOlogists always carry a ladder? - So they can be at eye level during a sighting!)

📜 Poem about Sichtung

Im Walde leis', kaum zu ermessen,
Ein Schatten huscht, fast schon vergessen.
Der Förster späht, hält inne kurz,
Ein selt'ner Luchs – welch Freudenschurz!
Die Sichtung schnell ins Buch notiert,
Ein Wildtier, das die Ruh' ehrt.

(In the forest quiet, hard to gauge,
A shadow flits, turning a page.
The forester peers, pauses briefly,
A rare lynx - what happy relief!
The sighting quickly noted in the book,
A wild animal that honours the nook.)

Im Büro stapelt sich Papier,
Die Aktenberge bis zur Tür.
Mit müdem Blick und viel Geduld,
Erfolgt die Sichtung ohne Schuld.
Sortieren, prüfen, Schritt für Schritt,
Bis Klarheit aus den Blättern glitt.

(In the office, paper stacks high,
The file mountains reach the sky.
With tired eyes and much patience shown,
The review proceeds, faultlessly known.
Sorting, checking, step by step you sit,
Until clarity from the pages flit.)

🧩 Riddle

Ich kann ein flüchtiger Blick auf ein Reh sein,
oder das Prüfen von Akten, fein.
Mal bin ich selten, mal alltäglich,
mal mach ich Forscher oder Späher glücklich.

Was bin ich?

(I can be a fleeting glance at a deer,
or checking files, meticulously clear.
Sometimes I'm rare, sometimes commonplace,
Sometimes I bring joy to a researcher's or scout's face.

What am I?)

Solution: die Sichtung (the sighting / the review)

🌐 Other Information

Word Composition:

The word "Sichtung" is derived from the verb "sichten" (to sight, to screen, to review). It consists of the verb stem ("sicht-", related to "Sicht" - sight and "sehen" - to see) and the suffix "-ung", which typically forms feminine nouns denoting a process or result.

Trivia:

• The term "Sichtung" is often used in official reports, e.g., by the police, military, or in scientific studies.
• In the digital age, the Sichtung (review/analysis) of large amounts of data (Big Data) is gaining importance.