01
die Information
information
A message, knowledge, or information about a particular matter, person, or event.
example
Ich benötige dringend Informationen zu den neuen Öffnungszeiten.
I urgently need information about the new opening hours.
die Information
information
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word family
'Information' belongs to the word family of 'informieren' (to inform) and 'informativ' (informative). The ending '-ation' is typical for nouns derived from verbs and often have a Latin origin.
EXAMPLE
Der Zweck der Veranstaltung ist es, die Bürger zu informieren.
The purpose of the event is to inform the citizens.
Countable noun
In German, 'Information' is a countable noun. You can use 'eine Information' (one piece of information) in the singular for a single detail and 'Informationen' (information / pieces of information) in the plural for several facts or general information.
EXAMPLE
Das war eine sehr nützliche Information für mich.
That was a very useful piece of information for me.
Typical prepositions
When you want to state the topic of the information, you usually use 'über' with the accusative or 'zu' with the dative. 'Über' describes the topic more broadly, while 'zu' often refers to a specific point.
EXAMPLE
Ich suche Informationen über die Geschichte der Stadt.
I'm looking for information about the history of the city.
Typical verbs
Common verbs used with 'Information' are 'Informationen bekommen/erhalten' (to get/receive information), 'Informationen suchen/finden' (to look for/find information), 'Informationen sammeln' (to gather information), and 'Informationen weitergeben' (to pass on information).
EXAMPLE
Wo kann ich verlässliche Informationen zu diesem Thema finden?
Where can I find reliable information on this topic?
Context clue: technical language
The technical meaning from computer science can be recognized from the context. When there is talk of 'Bits' (bits), 'Datenverarbeitung' (data processing), 'Speicherung' (storage), or 'Signalen' (signals), 'Information' is meant as a theoretical concept.
EXAMPLE
Ein Computer verarbeitet Informationen in Form von Nullen und Einsen.
A computer processes information in the form of zeros and ones.
Compare with
Information vs Nachricht
message / news
'Information' and 'Nachricht' can both refer to something that you learn or pass on. But 'Information' is more general: it can be a fact, a piece of information, or knowledge about a topic. 'Nachricht' fits better when someone actively sends or says something to another person, for example by phone. In the media, 'die Nachrichten' means current news from around the world. Learners easily confuse the words because a message often contains information. In practical terms: the information is the content; the message is often the form in which the content arrives.
Information
Die Information über den Zugausfall steht auf der Anzeigetafel.
The information about the train cancellation is on the display board.
Nachricht
Nach der Arbeit schreibt mir mein Kollege eine kurze Nachricht.
After work, my colleague writes me a short message.
In real life
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