consultation / deliberation
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consultation
The giving of expert advice to someone who is looking for help with a problem or a decision.
Vor dem Kauf habe ich eine ausführliche Beratung im Fachgeschäft erhalten.
Before buying it, I received detailed advice at the specialist store.
deliberation
A formal discussion or meeting in which a group of people discusses a topic in order to reach a decision.
Nach langer Beratung hat die Jury die Gewinnerin bekannt gegeben.
After long deliberation, the jury announced the winner.
'Die Beratung' (consultation/advice) is a noun derived from the verb 'beraten' (to advise). The ending '-ung' forms feminine nouns from verbs, which often describe the process or result of the action.
Er hat mich gut beraten.
He advised me well.
The meaning of 'Beratung' (consultation/deliberation) depends on the context. If it involves a person asking an expert questions, it usually means advice or consultation (meaning 1). If it involves a committee or jury discussing something, it means deliberation or discussion (meaning 2).
Die telefonische Beratung hat mir bei meinem Problem geholfen.
The telephone consultation helped me with my problem.
In the sense of 'Ratschlag' (advice), 'Beratung' is often used with verbs such as 'anbieten' (to offer), 'suchen' (to seek), 'bekommen' (to receive), or 'in Anspruch nehmen' (to make use of). Adjectives such as 'persönlich' (personal), 'fachkundig' (expert), or 'kostenlos' (free of charge) are also typical.
Viele Studenten nehmen die psychologische Beratung der Universität in Anspruch.
Many students make use of the university's psychological counseling service.
To name the topic of the consultation, you often use the preposition 'zu' followed by the topic in the dative. This structure is very useful for specifying the content of the consultation.
Ich hätte gerne eine Beratung zur richtigen Geldanlage.
I would like advice on the right investment strategy.
When a discussion or deliberation is meant, fixed expressions such as 'nach langer Beratung' (after long deliberation), 'nach reiflicher Beratung' (after careful deliberation), or 'die Beratungen aufnehmen' (to begin deliberations) are very common.
Nach kurzer Beratung war sich das Team einig.
After a brief discussion, the team was in agreement.
advice / council
Both words are related to helping with a decision. Rat is the specific recommendation about what someone should do; Beratung refers more to the expert support and the process of preparing such a decision. Use Beratung for the conversation or service, and Rat for the recommendation.
Vor der Entscheidung nahm ich eine ausführliche Beratung bei der Beraterin in Anspruch.
Before making the decision, I had an extensive consultation with the adviser.
Nach dem Gespräch gab mir die Beraterin den Rat, noch eine Nacht darüber zu schlafen.
After the conversation, the adviser advised me to sleep on it for one more night.
