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der Bundestag
Bundestag
The parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany, which passes laws.
example
Der Bundestag hat heute über das neue Klimaschutzgesetz abgestimmt.
The Bundestag voted today on the new climate protection law.
der Bundestag
Bundestag
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Compound word
'Bundestag' is made up of 'Bund' (short for Federal Republic) and 'Tag'. The word 'Tag' here does not mean 'day', but is an old word for an assembly or parliament, as also in 'Reichstag'.
EXAMPLE
Der Bundestag ist das Herz der deutschen Demokratie.
The Bundestag is the heart of German democracy.
Cultural context
'Der Bundestag' is the official name for the parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany. It is not a general word for 'parliament', but refers to a specific political institution.
EXAMPLE
Alle vier Jahre wird in Deutschland ein neuer Bundestag gewählt.
Every four years, a new Bundestag is elected in Germany.
Place vs. institution
Pay attention to the verbs and prepositions to distinguish between the building and the institution. Verbs like 'besichtigen' (to tour/visit) or the preposition 'in den' (accusative) refer to the building. Verbs like 'beschließen' (to pass/decide) or 'tagen' (to meet/be in session) refer to the institution.
EXAMPLE
Touristen können die Kuppel des Bundestags besichtigen.
Tourists can visit the dome of the Bundestag.
Typical verbs
When the Bundestag is meant as an institution, it is often combined with political verbs. Typical examples are: Der Bundestag tagt (the Bundestag is in session), debattiert (debates), stimmt ab (votes), or wählt (elects).
EXAMPLE
Der Bundestag tagt diese Woche in Berlin.
The Bundestag is in session in Berlin this week.
Compare with
Bundestag vs Bundesregierung
federal government
'Bundesregierung' and 'Bundestag' both belong to German politics, but they mean different things. The 'Bundesregierung' runs the country politically and consists of the Federal Chancellor and the ministers. The 'Bundestag' is the parliament; that is where the elected representatives sit and pass laws. Learners can easily confuse the words because both begin with 'Bundes-' and often appear in the news. Memory tip: the Bundesregierung governs, while the Bundestag passes laws and checks the government.
Bundestag
Heute diskutiert der Bundestag über den neuen Haushalt.
Today the Bundestag is discussing the new budget.
Bundesregierung
Die Bundesregierung plant neue Regeln für den Klimaschutz.
The federal government is planning new rules for climate protection.
In real life
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