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parent
A person in their role as the mother or father of a child. The term is often used in formal or legal contexts to be gender-neutral.
Für die Reise ins Ausland benötigt das Kind die schriftliche Erlaubnis von jedem Elternteil.
For the trip abroad, the child needs written permission from each parent.
The word consists of 'Eltern' (parents, plural for mother and father) and 'Teil' (part). So it literally means 'one part of the parents.' The neuter gender ('das') comes from the base word 'das Teil' (the part).
Jeder Elternteil muss das Formular unterschreiben.
Each parent must sign the form.
'Elternteil' (parent) is a formal term used especially in administrative language, legal texts, or psychology. It is used to speak about a mother or father in a gender-neutral way.
Auf dem Antragsformular muss mindestens ein Elternteil unterschreiben.
At least one parent must sign the application form.
You use this word when you mean one individual person but want to emphasize their role as mother or father without naming the gender. It is often combined with 'jeder' (each), 'ein' (one/a), or 'kein' (no).
Das Kind lebt nur bei einem Elternteil.
The child lives with only one parent.
mother / nut
'die Mutter' and 'das Elternteil' can both refer to a person in the role of a parent. 'die Mutter' is more specific because it refers to the female parent. 'das Elternteil' is gender-neutral and can mean mother or father. It often sounds more factual, formal, or legal. The words can be confused when you are speaking only generally about family. If gender is important, use 'Mutter'; if it should remain open, 'Elternteil' fits better.
Für die Anmeldung muss ein Elternteil das Formular unterschreiben.
For the registration, one parent must sign the form.
Beim Frühstück hat die Mutter den Ausflug für die Familie geplant.
At breakfast, the mother planned the outing for the family.