befristet
fixed-term
Limited in time to a specific, defined period. The opposite of 'unbefristet' (permanent / open-ended).
EXAMPLE
Sein Arbeitsvertrag ist auf zwei Jahre befristet.
His employment contract is fixed-term for two years.
befristet
fixed-term
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word structure
The word contains the noun 'die Frist' (deadline / time limit), which means 'period of time' or 'deadline.' So 'befristet' (fixed-term) literally means that something has been provided with a deadline, that is, a fixed time limit.
EXAMPLE
Dieses Sonderangebot ist befristet und gilt nur bis Ende der Woche.
This special offer is fixed-term and is valid only until the end of the week.
Sentence structure with 'auf'
To state the exact duration of the fixed term, the preposition 'auf' followed by the accusative is used. This construction is very common.
EXAMPLE
Meine erste Stelle war auf sechs Monate befristet.
My first position was fixed-term for six months.
Typical collocations
This adjective is very often used in the context of work and contracts. Typical combinations are 'ein befristeter Arbeitsvertrag' (a fixed-term employment contract), 'eine befristete Stelle' (a fixed-term position), or 'eine befristete Aufenthaltserlaubnis' (a temporary residence permit).
EXAMPLE
Viele junge Leute finden nach dem Studium nur eine befristete Stelle.
After university, many young people only find a fixed-term position.
Compare with
befristet vs vorübergehend
temporary
Both words describe something that is not permanent. Befristet is used when the beginning or end, or a fixed period, has been specified. Vorübergehend, by contrast, generally indicates a limited duration without requiring an exact end date. Therefore, use befristet with fixed time details and usually vorübergehend otherwise.
befristet
Sie hat einen befristeten Vertrag, der am 30. Juni endet.
She has a fixed-term contract that ends on June 30.
vorübergehend
Wegen des Umbaus arbeitet das Team vorübergehend in einem anderen Raum.
Because of the renovations, the team is temporarily working in another room.
In real life
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