die  Verschiebung

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/fɛɐ̯ˈʃiːbʊŋ/

📅 What exactly does "die Verschiebung" mean?

The noun die Verschiebung (feminine) is derived from the verb verschieben (to postpone, to shift, to move) and has several meanings, mostly related to a change in time or place:

• Temporal shift/Postponement: The most common meaning is rescheduling an appointment, event, or deadline to a later time. ➜ Example: die Verschiebung der Konferenz (the postponement of the conference).
• Spatial shift/Displacement/Relocation: Moving or relocating something to a different place. ➜ Example: die Verschiebung von Möbeln (moving furniture) or die Verschiebung tektonischer Platten (the shift of tectonic plates - geology).
• Shift in priorities/focus: A change in importance or emphasis. ➜ Example: eine Verschiebung der politischen Prioritäten (a shift in political priorities).
• Shift of funds/budget: The reallocation of money or resources. ➜ Example: eine Verschiebung im Budget zugunsten neuer Projekte (a shift in the budget favouring new projects).
• Physics/Technology: Often refers to a change in position or an offset. ➜ Example: die Phasenverschiebung einer Welle (the phase shift of a wave).

🚨 Since the word ends in -ung, it's always feminine (die Verschiebung).

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar Spotlight: Die Verschiebung

"Die Verschiebung" is a feminine noun. Here are the declension tables:

📝 Example Sentences

1. Die Verschiebung des Meetings wurde per E-Mail mitgeteilt. (The postponement of the meeting was communicated via email.)
2. Aufgrund der Verschiebung müssen wir neu planen. (Due to the postponement, we have to reschedule.)
3. Wir stimmen der Verschiebung zu. (We agree to the postponement.)
4. Der Chef hat die Verschiebung angeordnet. (The boss ordered the postponement.)
5. Mehrere Verschiebungen im Zeitplan verursachten Chaos. (Several shifts in the schedule caused chaos.)

💡 How to Use "die Verschiebung"

The term "Verschiebung" is versatile:

• In the office & everyday life: Very common for changes in appointments ("Die Verschiebung des Abgabetermins war unvermeidlich." - "The postponement of the deadline was unavoidable.").
• In politics & business: Often used in connection with changes in power dynamics, budgets, or strategies ("Es gab eine deutliche Verschiebung der Wählergunst." - "There was a significant shift in voter favour.").
• In geology & physics: Specific use for tectonic movements or physical phenomena ("Die Verschiebung der Kontinentalplatten dauert Millionen Jahre." - "The shift of continental plates takes millions of years.").
• When moving or rearranging: When things are physically moved ("Die Verschiebung der Möbel dauerte Stunden." - "Moving the furniture took hours.").

Distinction from similar words:

• Verlegung: Often synonymous for temporal or spatial changes, sometimes more specific for changing a location (e.g., Sitzverlegung - relocation of headquarters).
• Aufschub: Primarily refers to a temporal delay, often with a negative connotation (procrastination) or formal character (Zahlungsaufschub - deferral of payment).
• Verzögerung: Emphasizes the delayed occurrence of something, not necessarily a planned rescheduling.

The choice of word depends on the context and the desired nuance.

🧠 Mnemonics for "Verschiebung"

Article mnemonic: Remember that many German nouns ending in -ung are feminine (die). They often describe a process or result – an action (die Handlung - the action, die Bewegung - the movement, die Verschiebung - the shift/postponement). Picture a woman vigorously shifting a heavy wardrobe – SHE (die) manages THE shift (die Verschiebung)!

Meaning mnemonic: The word contains "schieben" (to push/shift). Imagine yourself pushing an appointment further down your calendar, or shifting boxes from one place to another. The act of 'schieben' results in a Verschiebung.

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms for "Verschiebung"

⚠️ Caution: Not all synonyms are interchangeable in every context. For instance, Aufschub often sounds more formal or negative than a neutral Verschiebung.

😂 A Little Joke

DE: Warum hat der Prokrastinierer den Kalender erfunden?
Damit er endlich etwas zum Verschieben hat! 😉

EN: Why did the procrastinator invent the calendar?
So he finally had something to postpone! 😉

📜 A Poem about "Verschiebung"

DE:
Der Termin, er war fixiert,
Doch plötzlich wird er korrigiert.
Eine Mail, ein kurzer Satz,
Bringt alles aus dem Takt, dem Platz.
Die Verschiebung, sie ist da,
Mal Ärger, mal Hurra.
Der Plan, er wankt, muss neu gedacht,
Wer hätte das denn je erwartet?

EN:
The date, it was set fast,
But suddenly, it's recast.
An email, a sentence brief,
Throws rhythm and place into grief.
The shift/postponement, it has arrived,
Sometimes annoyance, sometimes joy-contrived.
The plan now falters, needs new thought,
Who would have ever foreseen what's wrought?

❓ Riddle Time

DE:
Ich ändere den Plan,
Schieb' Termine vor mir heran.
Mal bewege ich Kontinente sacht,
Mal hab' ich nur dein Möbel umgebracht.
Ich komme oft ungelegen,
Kann aber auch Segen pflegen.

Was bin ich?

Lösung: die Verschiebung

EN:
I change the plan you make,
Push deadlines for goodness sake.
Sometimes I move continents slow,
Sometimes just furniture, to and fro.
I often arrive inconveniently,
But can also bring blessings, you see.

What am I?

Solution: die Verschiebung (the shift/postponement/displacement)

🧩 Further Details

Word Formation:

• Prefix ver-: often indicates a change, movement away, or sometimes a mistake.
• Stem verb: schieben (to push, shift, move).
• Suffix -ung: forms a feminine noun from the verb, describing the process or result.

Cultural Context: Although punctuality (Pünktlichkeit) is often emphasized in Germany, Verschiebungen (postponements/rescheduling) of appointments are quite common in professional and private life, usually justified by organizational necessities.