die Bekanntschaft
acquaintance
A person you know but are not close friends with; a male or female acquaintance.
EXAMPLE
Er ist nur eine flüchtige Bekanntschaft aus dem Studium.
He is only a casual acquaintance from university.
die Bekanntschaft
acquaintance
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Meanings
Bekanntschaft machen
to make acquaintance
To get to know someone; to make first contact with a person.
EXAMPLE
Auf der Party habe ich die Bekanntschaft seines Bruders gemacht.
At the party, I made the acquaintance of his brother.
die Bekanntschaft
acquaintance
The state or relationship of knowing someone without maintaining a deep friendship.
EXAMPLE
Unsere Bekanntschaft beschränkt sich auf ein gelegentliches Gespräch im Treppenhaus.
Our acquaintance is limited to an occasional conversation in the stairwell.
Usage tips
Word family
The word belongs to the family of 'kennen' (to know) and 'bekannt' (known / familiar). The ending '-schaft' often forms nouns that describe a relationship or a state, as in 'Freundschaft' (friendship).
EXAMPLE
Unsere Bekanntschaft begann auf einer Konferenz.
Our acquaintance began at a conference.
Fixed expression
The most common use is the fixed expression 'Bekanntschaft machen' (to make someone's acquaintance). It means 'jemanden kennenlernen' (to get to know someone) and is often used with the preposition 'mit' and the dative.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe im Urlaub die Bekanntschaft mit netten Leuten gemacht.
I made the acquaintance of some nice people on vacation.
Typical collocations
When 'Bekanntschaft' (acquaintance) describes a person, it is often combined with adjectives such as 'flüchtige' (casual), 'neue' (new), or 'alte' (old) to characterize the type of relationship.
EXAMPLE
Er traf eine alte Bekanntschaft aus seiner Schulzeit wieder.
He met an old acquaintance from his school days again.
Compare with
Bekanntschaft vs Kontakt
contact
Kontakt refers to the connection or exchange with a person. Bekanntschaft, by contrast, refers to the casual relationship that can develop from it. Kontakt is therefore used for ongoing communication, while Bekanntschaft describes knowing someone without being close friends.
Bekanntschaft
Aus dem ersten Treffen entstand eine lockere Bekanntschaft.
Their first meeting led to a casual acquaintance.
Kontakt
Nach dem ersten Treffen hielten die beiden regelmäßig Kontakt.
After their first meeting, the two of them stayed in regular contact.
In real life
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