der Abschied
farewell
The act or moment of saying goodbye when leaving a place or a person.
EXAMPLE
Der Abschied am Bahnhof fiel ihnen sehr schwer.
The farewell at the train station was very hard for them.
der Abschied
farewell / departure
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Meanings
Abschied nehmen
to say goodbye
To consciously say goodbye to a person, place, phase of life, or idea; to leave something behind.
EXAMPLE
Es ist Zeit, von alten Gewohnheiten Abschied zu nehmen.
It is time to say goodbye to old habits.
der Abschied
departure / retirement
Leaving an office, position, or working life, often in the sense of retirement or dismissal.
EXAMPLE
Nach 40 Jahren im Unternehmen feierte er seinen Abschied in den Ruhestand.
After 40 years at the company, he celebrated his departure into retirement.
Usage tips
Word structure
'Abschied' comes from the old verb 'scheiden', which means 'to separate'. The prefix 'ab-' strengthens the idea of separation. So an 'Abschied' is literally the moment of separation.
EXAMPLE
Der Abschied von seiner Familie fiel ihm nicht leicht.
The farewell from his family was not easy for him.
Word family
'Der Abschied' is the noun form of the verb 'sich verabschieden' (to say goodbye). When you say goodbye to someone, this moment is the 'Abschied' (farewell).
EXAMPLE
Wir müssen uns jetzt leider verabschieden.
Unfortunately, we have to say goodbye now.
Typical collocations
To describe the emotions involved, 'Abschied' is often combined with adjectives such as 'schwer' (hard), 'leicht' (easy), 'herzlich' (warm/cordial), or 'tränenreich' (tearful).
EXAMPLE
Es war ein sehr herzlicher Abschied unter Freunden.
It was a very warm farewell among friends.
Fixed expression
The expression 'Abschied nehmen von + dative' (to say goodbye to) is very common. It emphasizes the conscious, active process of saying goodbye, often to something abstract like an idea or habit.
EXAMPLE
Er musste von dem Gedanken Abschied nehmen, jemals reich zu werden.
He had to say goodbye to the idea of ever becoming rich.
Typical collocations
In a professional context, 'Abschied' is often used with the prepositions 'aus' (from) or 'in' (into): 'der Abschied aus dem Amt' (leaving office) or 'der Abschied in den Ruhestand' (retirement).
EXAMPLE
Die Firma organisierte eine große Feier für seinen Abschied in den Ruhestand.
The company organized a big celebration for his departure into retirement.
Compare with
Abschied vs Rücktritt
resignation / withdrawal
Both words can refer to voluntarily leaving an office or position. Rücktritt explicitly refers to formally giving up the office, while Abschied emphasizes the personal or more generally marked conclusion. In political news, Rücktritt is usually the more precise term.
Abschied
Sein Abschied aus dem Amt wurde mit einer kleinen Feier gewürdigt.
His departure from office was marked with a small celebration.
Rücktritt
Die Ministerin erklärte heute ihren Rücktritt von ihrem Amt.
The minister announced her resignation from office today.
In real life
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