die  Stelle

📍 What Exactly is 'die Stelle'?

The word die Stelle is a versatile feminine noun in German. It has several main meanings:

• Place, spot, point: Refers to a specific location or position in space. Example: An dieser Stelle stand früher ein Baum. (A tree used to stand in this spot.)
• Job, position: Refers to employment or a professional role. Example: Sie hat eine neue Stelle als Marketingmanagerin gefunden. (She found a new position as a marketing manager.)
• Passage, excerpt (in a text): Marks a specific section in a written or spoken text. Example: Lies bitte die markierte Stelle im Buch vor. (Please read the marked passage in the book aloud.)
• Digit position (mathematics): Refers to the position of a digit within a number (e.g., Einerstelle - ones place, Zehnerstelle - tens place). Example: Die Zahl 123 hat an der Hunderterstelle eine 1. (The number 123 has a 1 in the hundreds place.)

⚠️ Pay attention to the context to understand the correct meaning!

📐 Grammar of 'die Stelle' in Detail

Die Stelle is a feminine noun. Here is its declension:

Example Sentences 📝

1. Place: An genau der Stelle habe ich meinen Schlüssel verloren. (I lost my key at exactly that spot.)
2. Job: Er bewirbt sich auf mehrere offene Stellen. (He is applying for several open positions.)
3. Text passage: Diese Stelle im Roman ist besonders bewegend. (This passage in the novel is particularly moving.)
4. Digit position: Addiere die Zahlen an der Zehnerstelle. (Add the numbers in the tens place.)

💡 How to Use 'die Stelle'?

Die Stelle is commonly used in various contexts:

• Locations: Often with prepositions like an, auf, bei. "An dieser Stelle möchte ich mich bedanken." (At this point, I would like to say thank you.) "Stell die Vase auf die richtige Stelle." (Put the vase in the right spot.)
• Professional Environment: Very common for jobs and positions. "eine Stelle ausschreiben" (to advertise a position), "eine Stelle antreten" (to start a job), "seine Stelle kündigen" (to resign from one's job).
• Text Reference: "An welcher Stelle steht das?" (Where does it say that? / Lit: At which point does it stand?) "Ich habe die betreffende Stelle markiert." (I marked the relevant passage.)
• Abstract Position: Can also denote a position in a sequence or hierarchy. "An erster Stelle steht die Sicherheit." (Safety comes first. / Lit: Safety stands in the first place.)

Differences from similar words:

• Ort: More general than Stelle, can be larger (e.g., a village). Stelle is often more specific, a point.
• Platz: Similar to Ort, but often emphasizes available space. "Hier ist kein Platz mehr" (There's no more space here), but "An dieser Stelle ist kein Platz mehr" (There's no space at this spot) is also possible.
• Position: Often synonymous with Stelle in a professional context, but Position can sound more formal or relate more strongly to the hierarchical level.

Common idioms include: "zur Stelle sein" (to be present/ready), "auf der Stelle treten" (to tread water/make no progress), "an Ort und Stelle" (right there/on the spot).

🧠 Memory Aids for 'die Stelle'

Article Mnemonic: Think of a female official (die Beamtin) who is responsible for *die* Stelle (the position/office). Feminine official helps remember die.

Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine you have to 'STELL' (place/put) something at a specific 'Stelle' (spot). Or think of a job 'Stelle' where you 'stand' (stehen) at your post.

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms for 'die Stelle'

⚠️ Similar but Different Words:

• Stall (der): Stable/barn for animals. Don't confuse!
• Stiel (der): Stem (of a plant) or handle (of a tool). Sounds similar, but different meaning and article.
• still: Adjective (quiet, still).

😄 A Little Job Joke

German: Fragt der Chef den neuen Mitarbeiter: "Sagen Sie mal, ist Ihre vorherige Stelle eigentlich schon wieder besetzt?" Antwortet der Mitarbeiter: "Ich glaube nicht. Ich habe die Büromöbel mitgenommen!"

English: The boss asks the new employee: "Tell me, has your previous position actually been filled yet?" The employee replies: "I don't think so. I took the office furniture with me!"

📜 A Poem about 'die Stelle'

German:
An jeder Stelle, groß und klein,
kann Wichtiges verborgen sein.
Ein Punkt im Buch, ein Ort im Raum,
ein Job, erfüllt ein Lebenstraum.

Man sucht sie, findet sie mit Glück,
die rechte Stelle, Stück für Stück.
Sie gibt uns Halt, sie zeigt den Weg,
ob auf der Arbeit oder Steg.

English:
At every Stelle, large and small,
Important things hide from us all.
A spot in a book, a place in space,
A job fulfilled, a life's embrace.

One seeks it, finds it, lucky chance,
The proper Stelle, glance by glance.
It gives us hold, it shows the way,
Whether at work or by the bay.

❓ Riddle Time

German:
Ich bin ein Platz, doch hab kein Haus.
Ich bin ein Job, mal Freud, mal Graus.
Im Buch zeig ich, wo's wichtig ist,
in Zahlen, dass du mich nicht vergisst.

Was bin ich?
... Die Stelle

English:
I am a place, but have no house.
I am a job, sometimes joy, sometimes grouse.
In books, I show where things are key,
In numbers, so you don't forget me.

What am I?
... Die Stelle (place/spot/job/position/passage)

🧩 Further Information

Word Compounds: The word 'Stelle' is part of many compound nouns, often specifying its meaning:

• Arbeitsstelle: Workplace/job
• Haltestelle: Bus/tram stop
• Textstelle: Text passage
• Dienststelle: Agency/office (often governmental)
• Tankstelle: Gas/petrol station
• Fehlstelle: Gap/missing part
• Nahtstelle: Seam/junction (also metaphorical interface)

Etymology: The word 'Stelle' comes from the Old High German 'stella', which originally meant 'location, place, stand' and is related to the verb 'stellen' (to place, put, set).