department
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department
A subarea or subdivision of a larger organization, such as a company, government agency, or university.
Sie arbeitet in der Personalabteilung und ist für Neueinstellungen zuständig.
She works in the HR department and is responsible for new hires.
The noun 'Abteilung' (department) is derived from the separable verb 'abteilen' (to divide off). It literally describes an area that has been separated from a larger whole, that is, a subarea or section.
Der neue Mitarbeiter wird der Entwicklungsabteilung zugeteilt.
The new employee is assigned to the development department.
'Abteilung' (department) is a very productive base word for compounds. The first part of the word describes the function of the department, for example 'Personalabteilung' (HR department), 'Marketingabteilung' (marketing department), or 'Gemüseabteilung' (vegetable section).
Für Fragen zu Ihrem Gehalt wenden Sie sich bitte an die Personalabteilung.
For questions about your salary, please contact the HR department.
In a professional context, 'Abteilung' (department) is almost always used with the preposition 'in' and the dative. Typical phrases are 'in einer Abteilung arbeiten' (to work in a department) or 'eine Abteilung leiten' (to lead a department).
Er leitet seit drei Jahren die Abteilung für Finanzen.
He has been leading the finance department for three years.
You can easily tell what kind of 'Abteilung' (department/section) is meant from the context. If it involves a 'Firma' (company) or 'Büro' (office), it means an organizational unit. With 'Kaufhaus' (department store) or 'Supermarkt' (supermarket), it refers to an area for goods.
Unsere Abteilung hat dieses Jahr alle Ziele erreicht.
Our department achieved all its goals this year.
team
'das Team' and 'die Abteilung' can both occur in a company or organization, but they do not mean the same thing. A 'Team' is a group of people who work together on a goal or task. An 'Abteilung' is a fixed area within a larger organization, for example sales, HR, or technology. Several teams can work within one department. The words can be confused because in everyday work they may often refer to the same people. 'Team' emphasizes collaboration, while 'Abteilung' emphasizes the organizational structure.
Die Abteilung für Kundenservice ist morgen nur bis zwölf Uhr erreichbar.
The customer service department can only be reached until twelve o'clock tomorrow.
Clara unterstützt das Team bei der Planung der Veranstaltung.
Clara supports the team with planning the event.