die  Verpflichtung

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/fɛɐ̯ˈpflɪçtʊŋ/

📜 What does "die Verpflichtung" mean?

Die Verpflichtung (feminine noun, plural: die Verpflichtungen) describes a state or an act by which one is bound to do something specific. It can be a legal, moral, or contractual bond.

• Legal/Contractual Obligation (rechtliche/vertragliche Verpflichtung): A duty established by law or contract (e.g., Mietzahlung - rent payment).
• Moral Obligation (moralische Verpflichtung): A duty arising from ethical or social norms (e.g., helping someone in need).
• Financial Obligation (finanzielle Verpflichtung): A duty to pay money (e.g., debts, liabilities - Verbindlichkeiten).
• Social Obligation (soziale Verpflichtung): A duty arising from societal expectations (e.g., attending a family celebration).

It's a noun that always takes the article "die". ⚠️ Don't confuse it directly with "Pflicht" (duty), although they are similar. A "Verpflichtung" is often more specific and results from an act (promise, contract), while a "Pflicht" can be more general.

Article rules for der, die, and das

📚 Grammar & Declension of "Verpflichtung"

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

Example Sentences

1. Mit der Vertragsunterzeichnung geht man eine rechtliche Verpflichtung ein.
   (By signing the contract, one enters into a legal obligation.)
2. Er fühlte eine moralische Verpflichtung, die Wahrheit zu sagen.
   (He felt a moral obligation to tell the truth.)
3. Das Unternehmen hat hohe finanzielle Verpflichtungen gegenüber seinen Gläubigern.
   (The company has high financial obligations towards its creditors.)
4. Sie betrachtet es als soziale Verpflichtung, an der Hochzeit teilzunehmen.
   (She considers it a social obligation to attend the wedding.)
5. Die Erfüllung meiner Verpflichtungen hat oberste Priorität.
   (Fulfilling my obligations has top priority.)

🗣️ Usage in Context

"Verpflichtung" is frequently used in formal contexts, especially in legal, business, and ethical domains.

• Law & Contracts (Recht & Verträge): Here, it refers to binding duties arising from laws or agreements. Common phrases include "vertragliche Verpflichtungen" (contractual obligations), "gesetzliche Verpflichtungen" (legal obligations), or "die Eingehung einer Verpflichtung" (entering into an obligation).
• Finance (Finanzen): In finance, "Verpflichtung" often refers to debts or payment obligations (also known as "Verbindlichkeiten" - liabilities).
• Morality & Ethics (Moral & Ethik): Here, it relates to the feeling of having to do something based on values or conscience ("moralische Verpflichtung").
• Everyday Life (Alltag): In a broader sense, it can also mean a committed task or promise ("Ich habe die Verpflichtung, ihn vom Bahnhof abzuholen" - I have the obligation/commitment to pick him up from the train station).

Distinction from "Pflicht": While "Pflicht" often describes a general necessity imposed externally or internally (e.g., civic duty - Bürgerpflicht, compulsory education - Schulpflicht), a "Verpflichtung" usually arises from a specific act (contract, promise, taking on a task) or a specific relationship.

🧠 Mnemonics & Memory Aids

Article Mnemonic: Feminine nouns in German often end in "-ung". Remember: Die Rettung (the rescue), die Meinung (the opinion), die Verpflichtung. The "-ung" ending is a very strong indicator for the article "die".

Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine you have a "flickering light" (sounds a bit like Ver-pflicht-ung) reminding you constantly of a promise or contract you made. This light represents your Verpflichtung (obligation/commitment). Or think: You feel *obligated to fulfill a Pflicht (duty), and this act verifies your commitment -> Verpflichtung*.

↔️ Synonyms & Antonyms

🚨 Note: Words like "Aufgabe" (task) or "Auftrag" (assignment, order) can be similar but tend to emphasize the activity itself rather than its binding nature.

😂 A Little Joke

Fragt der Chef den neuen Mitarbeiter: "Fühlen Sie sich der Firma gegenüber zu etwas verpflichtet?"
Antwortet der Mitarbeiter: "Ja, zur Pünktlichkeit beim Verlassen des Büros!"

Translation:
The boss asks the new employee: "Do you feel obligated to the company in any way?"
The employee replies: "Yes, to be punctual when leaving the office!"

✍️ Poem about Obligation

Ein Wort, mal Last, mal fester Halt,
Die Verpflichtung, jung und alt.
Durch Vertrag, Gesetz, durch Herzensgrund,
Macht sie uns kund zur rechten Stund,
Was zu tun ist, was man versprach,
Ein starkes Band, hält oft uns wach.

Translation:
A word, sometimes burden, sometimes firm hold,
The obligation, young and old.
Through contract, law, through heart's core deep,
It tells us at the right hour's keep,
What must be done, what one did vow,
A strong bond, often keeps us awake now.

❓ Riddle

Ich binde dich, oft ohne Seil,
Manchmal willkommen, manchmal ein Keil.
Ich steh' im Vertrag, im Wort, im Sinn,
Was bin ich, sag's geschwind, von Anbeginn?

Lösung / Solution: die Verpflichtung

Translation:
I bind you, often without rope,
Sometimes welcome, sometimes a wedge to cope.
I stand in contracts, in words, in mind,
What am I, tell quickly, from the start you find?

Solution: die Verpflichtung (the obligation/commitment)

🧩 Word Parts & Trivia

Word Formation (Wortbildung): The word "Verpflichtung" is composed of:

• The prefix "ver-": here, it can signify intensification or the coming into being of something.
• The root word "Pflicht": duty, the necessity or ought.
• The suffix "-ung": forms a noun from the verb "verpflichten" and makes it feminine.

The related verb is "verpflichten" (to obligate/oblige someone to do something, to commit oneself to something). The adjective is "verpflichtend" (obligatory, binding).