die Abmachung
agreement
A usually verbal and informal agreement between two or more people about a certain behavior or service.
EXAMPLE
Unsere Abmachung war, dass du heute den Abwasch machst.
Our agreement was that you would do the dishes today.
die Abmachung
agreement
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word structure
The noun 'die Abmachung' (agreement) is derived from the verb 'abmachen' (to agree on / to arrange). The ending '-ung' turns the verb into a feminine noun that describes the result of the action.
EXAMPLE
Wir müssen noch etwas für das Wochenende abmachen.
We still need to arrange something for the weekend.
Register and style
An 'Abmachung' (agreement) is usually an informal, often verbal agreement, for example between friends or family members. It is typically used in everyday life and not for official legal matters.
EXAMPLE
Die Kinder hatten die Abmachung, dass jeder einmal mit dem neuen Spielzeug spielen darf.
The children had the agreement that everyone would get a turn playing with the new toy.
Typical verbs
Common verbs used with 'Abmachung' (agreement) are: eine Abmachung 'treffen' (to make/reach an agreement), sich an eine Abmachung 'halten' (to stick to an agreement), or eine Abmachung 'brechen' (to break an agreement).
EXAMPLE
Er hat sich nicht an unsere Abmachung gehalten.
He did not stick to our agreement.
Correct prepositions
When naming the partners and the topic of the agreement, you use the prepositions 'mit' (with, dative) for the person and 'über' (about, accusative) for the content.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe mit meinem Bruder die Abmachung getroffen, dass er das Auto am Samstag bekommt.
I made the agreement with my brother that he gets the car on Saturday.
Compare with
Abmachung vs Vertrag
contract
Both Vertrag and Abmachung refer to an agreement involving mutual services or behavior. A Vertrag is normally formal, often written, and legally binding, while an Abmachung is usually verbal and informal. Use Vertrag for a legally secured agreement and Abmachung for a simple private arrangement.
Abmachung
Wir trafen eine Abmachung über die Betreuung des Hauses während des Urlaubs.
We made an arrangement for looking after the house while we were on vacation.
Vertrag
Wir unterschrieben einen Vertrag über die regelmäßige Betreuung des Hauses.
We signed a contract for the regular care of the house.
In real life
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