reference
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reference to
The formal act of referring to something already said, written, or agreed upon. The term is mainly used in administrative and business language to establish a clear context.
Unter Bezugnahme auf Ihr Schreiben vom 15. Mai teilen wir Ihnen mit, dass Ihr Antrag genehmigt wurde.
With reference to your letter of May 15, we inform you that your application has been approved.
'Die Bezugnahme' (reference) is the nominalization of the fixed expression 'auf etwas Bezug nehmen' (to refer to something). If you know the expression, you can easily work out the meaning of the noun.
In meinem Vortrag nehme ich Bezug auf die aktuelle Studie.
In my presentation, I refer to the current study.
This word belongs to formal administrative and business language. It is found almost exclusively in written communication such as letters, emails, or official documents.
Die Bezugnahme auf frühere Vereinbarungen ist in diesem Vertrag nicht enthalten.
The reference to earlier agreements is not included in this contract.
The phrase 'Unter Bezugnahme auf...' (With reference to...) is especially common at the beginning of a sentence. It introduces a formal response or notice and establishes a clear connection.
Unter Bezugnahme auf unser Telefonat von gestern sende ich Ihnen die gewünschten Unterlagen.
With reference to our phone call yesterday, I am sending you the requested documents.
'Bezugnahme' (reference) is always used with the preposition 'auf' and the accusative. The structure is: 'Bezugnahme auf + [accusative object]' (reference to + [accusative object]).
Die Bezugnahme auf Ihre Rechnung vom 3. März ist korrekt.
The reference to your invoice of March 3 is correct.
cover / reference
'der Bezug' and 'die Bezugnahme' both have to do with connecting something to another topic, text, or event. 'Bezug' is more general: it can simply be a connection, or you can say 'in Bezug auf' (with regard to) when naming a topic. 'Bezugnahme' more specifically means the formal act of referring to something previously said, written, or agreed upon. The word sounds especially natural in letters, emails, contracts, or administrative contexts. Learners may confuse the words because both often occur with 'auf'. As a guide: 'Bezug' fits for the connection or topic, while 'Bezugnahme' fits for a formal reference to something previous.
In Bezugnahme auf Ihr Schreiben vom Montag senden wir Ihnen die fehlenden Unterlagen.
With reference to your letter from Monday, we are sending you the missing documents.
Der Bezug zu unserem letzten Gespräch ist in dieser E-Mail klar erkennbar.
The connection to our last conversation is clearly recognizable in this email.