01
der Anruf
call
The act of establishing a connection with someone by telephone in order to speak with them.
example
Ich erwarte einen wichtigen Anruf aus dem Büro.
I'm expecting an important call from the office.
der Anruf
call
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word family
The noun 'der Anruf' (call) is derived directly from the separable verb 'anrufen' (to call). It describes the act of calling as a noun.
EXAMPLE
Ich muss später noch einen Anruf erledigen.
I still have to make a call later.
Typical verbs
'Anruf' (call) is often combined with certain verbs. You can 'bekommen' (get), 'erhalten' (receive), or 'entgegennehmen' (take) a call, or 'tätigen' (place) and 'machen' (make) one yourself.
EXAMPLE
Der Chef hat heute Morgen schon drei Anrufe für Sie entgegengenommen.
The boss has already taken three calls for you this morning.
Typical adjectives
Common adjectives that describe a call are 'wichtig' (important), 'dringend' (urgent), 'kurz' (short/brief), 'persönlich' (personal), or also 'verpasst' (missed), if you couldn't answer it.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe einen verpassten Anruf von einer unbekannten Nummer.
I have a missed call from an unknown number.
Compare with
Anruf vs Telefon
telephone
'das Telefon' and 'der Anruf' are both connected to using the phone, but they do not mean the same thing. 'das Telefon' is the device you use to speak or answer a call. 'der Anruf' is the action or attempt to reach someone by phone. The words can be confused because in both cases you are talking about the same kind of situation. But you buy or repair a telephone, while you receive, make, or miss a call. Remember: the telephone is the device; the call is the event.
Anruf
Am Montag warte ich auf einen wichtigen Anruf von meinem Chef.
On Monday, I am waiting for an important call from my boss.
Telefon
Vor dem Wochenende ist das Telefon in der Werkstatt kaputtgegangen.
Before the weekend, the telephone in the workshop broke.
In real life
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