die  Vermittlung

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/fɛɐ̯ˈmɪtlʊŋ/

🤝 What does "die Vermittlung" mean?

Die Vermittlung (feminine) is a versatile German word with several core meanings:

• 🕊️ Mediation / Conciliation: The act of bringing about an agreement or compromise between two or more parties, often in conflict situations. Example: Die Vermittlung im Tarifstreit war erfolgreich. (The mediation in the wage dispute was successful.)
• 🏢 Agency / Brokering / Intermediation: The act of matching supply and demand, e.g., for real estate, jobs, or services. Also refers to an organization that does this. Example: Er fand die Wohnung durch die Vermittlung eines Maklers. (He found the apartment through the agency of a broker.)
• 🧑‍💼 Job Placement / Employment Agency: Specifically, finding jobs for job seekers, often through a public employment agency (Agentur für Arbeit) or private providers. Example: Die Agentur für Arbeit ist für die Vermittlung von Arbeitslosen zuständig. (The employment agency is responsible for the placement of unemployed people.)
• 🔌 Technical Connection / Switching: In technology, establishing a connection or transmitting signals (e.g., in telecommunications). Example: Die Vermittlung des Anrufs dauerte einen Moment. (The connection of the call took a moment.)

🚨 The word is always feminine and used with the article "die".

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar of "die Vermittlung"

"Vermittlung" is a feminine noun. Its declension is as follows:

📝 Example Sentences

• Die Vermittlung zwischen den Nachbarn war schwierig. (The mediation between the neighbours was difficult.)
• Ich suche eine Stelle über eine private Vermittlung. (I am looking for a job through a private agency/placement service.)
• Für die Vermittlung der Wohnung fällt eine Provision an. (A commission is due for the brokering of the apartment.)
• Technische Störungen bei der Vermittlung von Telefongesprächen sind selten. (Technical faults in the switching/connection of telephone calls are rare.)

💡 When to use "die Vermittlung"?

"Vermittlung" is used in various contexts:

• Law & Conflict Resolution: When discussing conciliation or mediation (e.g., Familienvermittlung - family mediation, Konfliktvermittlung - conflict mediation).
• Job Market: In relation to job searching and human resources (e.g., Arbeitsvermittlung - job placement, Personalvermittlung - recruitment agency).
• Business & Commerce: When deals are arranged through a third party (e.g., Immobilienvermittlung - real estate agency, Kreditvermittlung - credit brokerage, Versicherungsvermittlung - insurance brokerage).
• Technology: Especially in telecommunications or network engineering for establishing connections.
• Knowledge & Culture: The act of imparting or making knowledge or culture accessible can also be called Vermittlung (e.g., Wissensvermittlung - knowledge transfer, Kunstvermittlung - art education/mediation).

Distinction: While Vermittlung often describes the process or service, Agentur (agency) or Makler (broker) more often refers to the person or organization providing the service. Schlichtung (conciliation) is a more specific term for conflict resolution than the broader Vermittlung.

🧠 Mnemonics for "Vermittlung"

Article Mnemonic: Most German nouns ending in "-ung" are feminine (die). Think of related concepts: die Lösung (the solution), die Verbindung (the connection), die Einigung (the agreement) – and therefore, also die Vermittlung. She mediates.

Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine someone standing in the middle (ver-mitt-lung) between two parties, going back and forth to establish a connection or find a compromise – they are performing Vermittlung.

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

⚠️ Similar Words:

• Mitteilung (die): Message, notification. Sounds similar but means something different.
• Ermittlung (die): Investigation, inquiry (e.g., by police).

😄 A little joke

German: Warum war der Mediator auch ein guter Gärtner? Weil er Experte in der Vermittlung zwischen verschiedenen Beeten war!

English: Why was the mediator also a good gardener? Because he was an expert in mediation (or placement - playing on 'Vermittlung') between different flower beds!

📜 Poem about Vermittlung

German:
Wo Fronten hart und starr erscheinen,
Wo keiner nachgibt, nur am Weinen,
Da braucht es eine sanfte Hand,
Die Brücken baut von Land zu Land.

Die Vermittlung, klug und fein,
Lässt neuen Dialog gedeihn.
Ob Job, ob Streit, ob altes Haus,
Sie hilft oft aus dem größten Graus.

English Translation:
Where fronts seem hard and rigid,
Where no one yields, just keeps on crying,
There a gentle hand is needed,
Building bridges from land to land.

Mediation (Die Vermittlung), smart and fine,
Lets new dialogue thrive and shine.
Be it job, or conflict, or old house's plight,
It often helps escape the greatest fright.

🧩 Riddle

German:
Ich steh' dazwischen, bring' zusammen,
Lös' Knoten auf und zähm' die Flammen.
Mal find' ich Jobs, mal schlicht' ich Streit,
Ich bin die Brücke, jederzeit.

Was bin ich? ... Die Vermittlung

English Translation:
I stand between, I bring together,
Untie knots and tame the fire's weather.
Sometimes I find jobs, sometimes settle fights,
I am the bridge, through days and nights.

What am I?
... Mediation / Placement / Agency (Die Vermittlung)

⚙️ Other Details

Word Composition:

The word "Vermittlung" is composed of:

• The prefix "ver-", which often indicates an action or process here.
• The stem "mittel" (from Mitte, meaning middle).
• The suffix "-ung", which turns a verb (here: "vermitteln" - to mediate, to broker) into a noun denoting an action, process, or its result.

Trivia: The term Vermittlung has gained prominence in recent decades with the increase in mediation procedures and private employment agencies.