01
die Kompanie
company
A military unit that usually consists of several platoons and is part of a battalion.
example
Der Hauptmann befahl seiner Kompanie, für die Übung anzutreten.
The captain ordered his company to fall in for the exercise.
die Kompanie
company
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Meanings
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Usage tips
False friend
Careful: 'die Kompanie' is not a general word for a firm or business like the English 'company.' It refers only to certain groups, especially in the military or in the arts.
EXAMPLE
Er arbeitet für eine große deutsche Firma, nicht für eine Kompanie.
He works for a large German firm, not for a company in the sense of 'Kompanie.'
Context clue
Which type of group is meant becomes immediately clear from the context. Words like 'Soldaten' (soldiers) or 'Hauptmann' (captain) point to the military unit, while 'Tanz' (dance), 'Theater' (theater), or 'Ballett' (ballet) point to the artistic ensemble.
EXAMPLE
Die gesamte Kompanie musste um fünf Uhr morgens antreten.
The entire company had to fall in at five o'clock in the morning.
Typical compounds
In the artistic field, 'Kompanie' (company) is very often used as part of compound nouns, for example 'Tanzkompanie' (dance company), 'Theaterkompanie' (theater company), or 'Ballettkompanie' (ballet company).
EXAMPLE
Die städtische Theaterkompanie sucht neue Schauspieler.
The municipal theater company is looking for new actors.
Compare with
Kompanie vs Zug
train / move / draft
'der Zug' and 'die Kompanie' can occur together in a military context. A company is a larger military unit and usually consists of several platoons. In this context, a 'Zug' is therefore a smaller unit within a company. The words can be confused because both can refer to groups of soldiers. As a simple guide: the platoon is smaller, the company is larger.
Kompanie
Nach der Übung kehrte die ganze Kompanie in die Kaserne zurück.
After the exercise, the whole company returned to the barracks.
Zug
Der Zug wartete auf dem Übungsplatz auf den nächsten Befehl.
The platoon waited on the training ground for the next order.
In real life
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