filing tray / storage
Loading your saved state.
filing tray
A place or container where documents, letters, or files are kept in an organized way. This can be a physical tray in an office or a digital folder on a computer.
Bitte lege die neuen Rechnungen in die Ablage für die Buchhaltung.
Please put the new invoices in the filing tray for accounting.
filing / putting away
The act of putting down or storing objects in a specific place.
Die Ablage der Werkzeuge an ihrem vorgesehenen Platz sorgt für Ordnung in der Werkstatt.
Putting the tools away in their designated place keeps the workshop tidy.
storage shelf
A surface on which you can temporarily put something, for example on a train or in a car.
Er legte seinen Koffer in die Gepäckablage über dem Sitz.
He put his suitcase on the luggage rack above the seat.
'Die Ablage' is the nominalization of the separable verb 'ablegen' (to put down / to file). The basic meaning 'to put something in a specific place' connects all meanings: the place where you put something (m01), the act of putting it down (m02), and the surface on which you put something (m03).
Ich muss diese Dokumente noch ablegen.
I still have to file these documents.
In an office context, the preposition is important. 'In der Ablage' (in the filing tray; dative) describes the location, while 'in die Ablage' (into the filing tray; accusative) describes movement toward it.
Die wichtigen Unterlagen liegen schon in der Ablage.
The important documents are already in the filing tray.
In everyday office language, you often hear the phrase 'die Ablage machen' (to do the filing), which means to sort and put away accumulated documents. A 'digitale Ablage' (digital filing system/storage) refers to folder structures on a computer.
Am Freitagnachmittag mache ich immer die Ablage der ganzen Woche.
On Friday afternoons I always do the filing for the whole week.
When 'Ablage' means a surface in a vehicle, it often appears in a compound word. The best-known example is 'die Gepäckablage' (luggage rack) on a train or airplane.
Legen Sie Ihr Handgepäck bitte in die Gepäckablage.
Please put your carry-on luggage in the luggage rack.
subject / compartment
The terms Fach (compartment) and Ablage (filing tray or storage area) can both refer to places used to store documents in an organized way. A Fach is a clearly defined section in a piece of furniture or container. Ablage is broader and can also refer to a general place where documents are collected.
Lege die Rechnung auf die Ablage neben dem Drucker.
Put the invoice on the filing tray next to the printer.
Lege die Rechnung in das obere Fach des Aktenschranks.
Put the invoice in the top compartment of the filing cabinet.
