01
alphabetisch
alphabetical
Arranged according to the order of the letters of the alphabet.
example
Die Bücher im Regal sind alphabetisch nach Autoren sortiert.
The books on the shelf are sorted alphabetically by author.
alphabetisch
alphabetical
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word family
The adjective 'alphabetisch' (alphabetical) is derived directly from the noun 'das Alphabet' (the alphabet). The ending '-isch' is a typical ending used to form an adjective from a noun.
EXAMPLE
Lerne zuerst das deutsche Alphabet, bevor du mit dem Lesen beginnst.
First learn the German alphabet before you start reading.
Typical verbs
'Alphabetisch' (alphabetically) is very often combined with the verbs 'sortieren' (to sort) and 'ordnen' (to arrange) to describe the process of organization.
EXAMPLE
Bitte ordnen Sie die Dokumente alphabetisch nach dem Nachnamen.
Please arrange the documents alphabetically by last name.
Indicating direction
To specify the sorting direction, 'alphabetisch' (alphabetically) can be combined with adverbs. 'Alphabetisch aufsteigend' means from A to Z, while 'alphabetisch absteigend' means from Z to A.
EXAMPLE
Die Teilnehmerliste ist alphabetisch absteigend geordnet, also von Z bis A.
The list of participants is arranged in descending alphabetical order, that is, from Z to A.
Compare with
alphabetisch vs chronologisch
chronological
'chronologisch' and 'alphabetisch' both describe how things are arranged. For that reason, they can be confused, but they refer to different kinds of order. 'chronologisch' arranges things by time: what happened first comes first. 'alphabetisch' arranges things by letters, for example by names from A to Z. When talking about events, appointments, or history, 'chronologisch' is often the right choice. When talking about names, words, or titles, 'alphabetisch' often fits.
alphabetisch
Im Büro sind die Akten alphabetisch nach den Nachnamen der Kunden sortiert.
In the office, the files are sorted alphabetically by the customers' last names.
chronologisch
Die Polizei ordnete die Aussagen chronologisch, um den Unfall besser zu verstehen.
The police arranged the statements chronologically in order to better understand the accident.
In real life
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