01
der Kontakt
contact
The connection or exchange between people or groups.
example
Es ist wichtig, den Kontakt zu alten Freunden zu pflegen.
It's important to maintain contact with old friends.
der Kontakt
contact
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Typical collocations
For social connections, there are fixed verb combinations. You can 'Kontakt aufnehmen' (make contact/get in touch) to begin, 'Kontakt halten' (keep in contact) or 'pflegen' (maintain) to continue, and 'den Kontakt verlieren' (lose contact) to end it.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem Umzug haben wir leider den Kontakt verloren.
After the move, we unfortunately lost contact.
Correct preposition
When you describe a connection to a person, you usually use the preposition 'zu' with the dative. The phrase 'in Kontakt bleiben/treten mit' + dative is also very common.
EXAMPLE
Er hat noch regelmäßigen Kontakt zu seiner ersten Lehrerin.
He still has regular contact with his first teacher.
Professional contacts
In a professional context, people often talk about 'Kontakte knüpfen' (making contacts/networking). This means building a professional network. Here, the word is often used in the plural.
EXAMPLE
Auf der Konferenz konnte sie viele nützliche Kontakte knüpfen.
At the conference, she was able to make many useful contacts.
Fixed expression
The combination 'einen Wackelkontakt haben' (to have a loose contact) is a fixed expression. It describes a technical problem in which an electrical connection is not stable.
EXAMPLE
Mein Ladekabel hat einen Wackelkontakt und funktioniert nicht immer.
My charging cable has a loose contact and doesn't always work.
Sentence structure and usage
For physical touch, the construction 'in Kontakt kommen mit' + dative is often used. In warnings, you often find the formula 'Kontakt vermeiden mit' + dative.
EXAMPLE
Achtung, das Reinigungsmittel darf nicht mit den Augen in Kontakt kommen.
Caution: the cleaning agent must not come into contact with the eyes.
Compare with
Kontakt vs Verbindung
connection / association
'die Verbindung' and 'der Kontakt' can both mean a relationship or exchange between people. 'Kontakt' often emphasizes that you speak or write with someone, or that you know a person. 'Verbindung' sounds a bit more general and can also mean a technical connection or social connections to important people. 'Kontakt' can also refer to physical touch or a contact point in an electrical device. The words are easy to confuse because you hear both 'Kontakt' and 'Verbindung' in many situations. For actively communicating with people, 'Kontakt' is usually more natural; for a fixed or technical connection, 'Verbindung' fits better.
Kontakt
Nach dem Umzug hat Lena den Kontakt zu ihrer alten Nachbarin behalten.
After moving, Lena kept in touch with her old neighbor.
Verbindung
Die Verbindung zum Internet bricht seit dem Morgen immer wieder ab.
The internet connection has been dropping again and again since this morning.
In real life
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