die  Versorgung

B1

Estimated CEFR level.

/fɛɐ̯ˈzɔʁɡʊŋ/

📖 What does "die Versorgung" mean?

Die Versorgung fundamentally describes the provision or supply of necessary goods, services, or resources. It's a versatile word with several core meanings:

• Supply of Goods: Delivery of essential items like food, water, or energy (e.g., die Energieversorgung - energy supply, die Wasserversorgung - water supply).
• Services/Care: Ensuring services, especially in the medical or social field (e.g., die medizinische Versorgung - medical care, die Versorgung von Kranken - care for the sick).
• Maintenance/Security: Financial or material security, often in old age or in case of need (e.g., die Altersversorgung - pension/retirement benefits, die Versorgung der Familie - provision for the family).

🚨 The word is feminine, so the article is always "die". It's often used in the singular but can appear in the plural (die Versorgungen) when referring to specific types or instances of provision/supply/care.

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar of "die Versorgung"

"Versorgung" is a feminine noun. Nouns ending in -ung are almost always feminine in German.

Declension (Singular):

Declension (Plural):

The plural "die Versorgungen" is used less frequently, typically for specific types or instances of supply or provision.

📝 Example Sentences:

1. Die Versorgung der Stadt mit Trinkwasser ist sichergestellt. (The supply of drinking water to the city is guaranteed.)
2. Die medizinische Versorgung auf dem Land muss verbessert werden. (Medical care in the countryside must be improved.)
3. Er machte sich Sorgen um die Versorgung seiner Familie nach seinem Tod. (He worried about the provision for his family after his death.)
4. Die verschiedenen staatlichen Versorgungen wurden neu berechnet. (The various state benefits/pensions were recalculated.)

💡 How to use "die Versorgung"?

"Die Versorgung" is a key term in many areas:

• Infrastructure: Energieversorgung (energy supply), Wasserversorgung (water supply), Wärmeversorgung (heat supply) - focuses on the technical provision.
• Healthcare: Medizinische Versorgung (medical care), pflegerische Versorgung (nursing care), Notfallversorgung (emergency care) - refers to care and treatment.
• Social & Finance: Altersversorgung (pension/retirement benefits), Grundversorgung (basic provision/benefits), Beamtenversorgung (civil servant pension) - means financial or material security.
• Everyday life: Die Versorgung der Kinder mit Essen (providing food for the children), die Versorgung von Haustieren (caring for pets).

Distinction from similar words:

• Lieferung (delivery): Refers more to the specific act of transporting goods (die Lieferung der bestellten Bücher - the delivery of the ordered books). "Versorgung" is broader and more systemic.
• Pflege (care): Is more personal and directly focused on caring for a person (die Pflege eines Kranken - the care of a sick person). "Versorgung" can also include impersonal goods.
• Unterhalt (maintenance/support/alimony): Often refers specifically to financial support (Kindesunterhalt - child support). "Versorgung" can be broader.
• Vorsorge (precaution/prevention): Means prevention or preparation (die Gesundheitsvorsorge - preventive health care). "Versorgung" is the actual provision when needed.

🧠 Mnemonics for Versorgung

Article Mnemonic: Nouns ending in -ung are almost always feminine (die). Think of die Versorgung as a big 'U(h)NG'brella covering essential services.

Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine being 'VERy SORry' if the Versorgung fails – it provides essential things you'd miss! It covers your worries (Sorgen).

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

⚠️ Similar but different words:

• Vorsorge: Precaution, prevention, provision (e.g., Altersvorsorge - private pension planning vs. Altersversorgung - actual pension received).
• Entsorgung: Disposal (of waste).
• Besorgung: Errand, procurement of something specific (eine Besorgung machen - run an errand).

😂 A Little Joke

German: Fragt der Arzt den Patienten: "Wie steht es um Ihre Versorgung mit Vitaminen?" Patient: "Ach, Herr Doktor, meine Rente ist so knapp, ich kann mir nur Vitamin C leisten – Cent für Cent!"

English Translation: The doctor asks the patient: "How is your vitamin supply?" Patient: "Oh, doctor, my pension is so tight, I can only afford Vitamin C – cent by cent!"

✒️ Poem about Versorgung

German:
Die Versorgung, still und schlicht,
Bringt Wasser uns und auch das Licht.
Sie pflegt die Kranken, alt und jung,
Ist Lebensader, voller Schwung.
Ob Wärme, Nahrung, Sicherheit –
Die Versorgung steht allzeit bereit.

English Translation:
The supply, silent and plain,
Brings us water and light again.
It cares for the sick, old and young,
Is a lifeline, full of momentum.
Be it warmth, food, security –
Provision is always ready.

🧩 Riddle

German:
Ich komme durch Rohre, Kabel, helfende Hand,
Bin lebenswichtig im ganzen Land.
Mal bin ich Wärme, mal kühle Nass,
Mal Pflege, mal Rente – rate mal, was?

English Translation:
I come through pipes, cables, a helping hand,
I'm vital throughout the land.
Sometimes I'm warmth, sometimes cool wetness,
Sometimes care, sometimes pension – can you guess?

Solution: die Versorgung (supply/provision/care)

💡 Other Information about Versorgung

Word Components:

• ver-: A prefix often indicating a comprehensive or completing action.
• Sorge: Core of the word, relating to care, concern, worry.
• -ung: Suffix used to form nouns from verbs (from versorgen - to supply/care for), typically feminine.

Cultural Significance: The term "Versorgung" plays a major role in political and social discussions in Germany, e.g., in the context of the Sozialstaat (welfare state), the Energiewende (energy transition - focusing on Versorgungssicherheit or security of supply), or the quality of the healthcare system.