die
Verlesung
📖 What does 'die Verlesung' mean?
Die Verlesung refers to the act of reading a text aloud, usually in a formal or official setting. It's often about officially bringing the content of a document to the notice of a group of people.
Because the word ends in -ung, it is grammatically feminine and always takes the article 'die'. There are no other articles for this word.
- Core meaning: The formal reading aloud (e.g., of minutes, a will, an indictment, a roll call).
⚠️ Don't confuse it with a general 'Lesung' (reading, e.g., by an author), which can be less formal. 'Verlesung' implies an official character.
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 of 'die Verlesung' in Detail
'Verlesung' is a feminine noun. Here is its declension:
Singular
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Subject) | die | Verlesung |
| Genitive (Possessive) | der | Verlesung |
| Dative (Indirect Object) | der | Verlesung |
| Accusative (Direct Object) | die | Verlesung |
Plural
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Verlesungen |
| Genitive | der | Verlesungen |
| Dative | den | Verlesungen |
| Accusative | die | Verlesungen |
📝 Example Sentences
- Die Verlesung des Testaments dauerte eine Stunde. (The reading of the will lasted an hour.)
- Nach der Verlesung der Anklageschrift begann die Verhandlung. (After the reading of the indictment, the trial began.)
- Der Lehrer machte die Verlesung der Anwesenheitsliste zu Beginn der Stunde. (The teacher did the reading of the attendance list at the beginning of the lesson.)
- Die Verlesungen der Protokolle finden wöchentlich statt. (The readings of the minutes take place weekly.)
🗣️ How and when to use 'Verlesung'?
Die Verlesung is typically used in the following contexts:
- Law & Court: Reading of indictments (Anklageschriften), verdicts (Urteilen), minutes (Protokollen), evidence (Beweismitteln).
- Parliament & Politics: Reading of draft laws (Gesetzentwürfen), motions (Anträgen), voting results (Abstimmungsergebnissen).
- Administration & Bureaucracy: Reading of minutes (Protokollen), official announcements (offiziellen Bekanntmachungen), attendance lists / roll calls (Anwesenheitslisten).
- Private sphere (formal): Reading of a will (Testaments).
Difference from similar words:
- Lesung: Can also be a public event (e.g., an author's reading - Autorenlesung), not necessarily formal or official. A Lesung in parliament often refers to the different stages of debating a law.
- Vorlesen: The general act of reading aloud, without the formal or official character of Verlesung. (e.g., Die Mutter liest dem Kind eine Geschichte vor. - The mother reads a story to the child.)
The term 'Verlesung' carries a strong connotation of formality and officiality.
🧠 Mnemonics for 'Verlesung'
Article Mnemonic: Remember that almost all German nouns ending in -ung are feminine (die). Think of: die Zeitung (the newspaper), die Meinung (the opinion), die Lösung (the solution)... and therefore, die Verlesung. A feminine ending for an often serious procedure.
Meaning Mnemonic: 'Verlesung' comes from 'ver-lesen'. Imagine someone meticulously 'ver-reading' (verlesen) something important (like a verdict), reading it aloud officially so everyone hears and understands. The 'ver-' prefix can sometimes imply thoroughness or completion of an action.
↔️ Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms (similar meaning):
- Vorlesung: (In the sense of reading aloud, but also commonly means 'lecture' at university)
- Bekanntmachung: (Announcement, which can be done orally via a Verlesung)
- Vortrag: (More general for a talk, presentation, or recital)
- Proklamation: (Proclamation, a solemn public announcement)
Antonyms (opposite meaning):
- Verschweigen: (Concealment, deliberately not saying something)
- Stillschweigen: (Silence, not speaking)
- Unterdrückung (von Informationen): (Suppression (of information))
⚠️ Similar but different words:
- Lesung: As mentioned above, often less formal or with a different specific meaning (author's reading, parliamentary reading stage).
😂 A little Joke
Warum hat der Richter die Anklageschrift so langsam verlesen?
Damit auch die Schlafmützen im Gerichtssaal die Chance haben, 'schuldig' zu murmeln! 😉
(Why did the judge read the indictment so slowly?
So that even the sleepyheads in the courtroom had a chance to mumble 'guilty'!) 😉
📜 Poem about Verlesung
Im Saale herrscht betret'nes Schweigen,
Ein wichtig Schriftstück will man zeigen.
Der Akt beginnt, ganz ohne Hast,
Die Verlesung, Wort für Wort erfasst.
Gesetz, Testament, was es auch sei,
Durchs laute Lesen wird es frei,
Für aller Ohren, klar und rein,
So soll die Kundmachung nun sein.
(In the hall, an awkward silence reigns,
An important document they want to show.
The act begins, without any haste,
The reading aloud, captured word by word.
Law, testament, whatever it may be,
Through reading aloud, it becomes free,
For everyone's ears, clear and pure,
So the announcement shall now endure.)
❓ Little Riddle
Ich bin ein Akt, oft sehr formell,
Ein Text wird laut vernehmbar schnell.
Im Gericht, im Rat, beim letzten Willen,
Tu ich den Zweck der Kundgabe erfüllen.
Ich ende auf '-ung', bin feminin,
Was bin ich wohl? Die...?
(I am an act, often very formal,
A text becomes audible quickly aloud.
In court, in council, at the last will,
I fulfill the purpose of notification.
I end in '-ung', am feminine,
What might I be? Die...?)
Solution: die Verlesung
🧩 Further Details
Word Composition:
The word 'Verlesung' is a noun derived from the verb 'verlesen'. It consists of:
- Prefix 'ver-': often intensifying or indicating a process.
- Stem of the verb 'lesen' (to read).
- Suffix '-ung': forms nouns from verbs, usually describing a process or its result, and makes them feminine.
Tone: The term has a consistently formal and official tone.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Verlesung?
The noun 'Verlesung' is feminine, so the correct article is always die Verlesung. It refers to the formal act of reading something aloud, typically in an official context.