01
die Ordnung
order
A state in which everything is in its proper place, tidy, and clearly arranged.
example
Nach dem Fest mussten wir erst einmal wieder Ordnung schaffen.
After the party, we first had to restore order.
die Ordnung
order
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word family
'Ordnung' (order) belongs to the word family of the verb 'ordnen' (to arrange/sort). The verb describes the action of bringing something into an ordered state or sorting it.
EXAMPLE
Kannst du bitte deine Bücher im Regal ordnen?
Could you please arrange your books on the shelf?
Fixed expression
The expression 'in Ordnung' is very common and means 'okay', 'in good condition', or 'acceptable'. It can be used as a short answer or as part of a sentence.
EXAMPLE
Keine Sorge, mit dem Auto ist alles in Ordnung.
Don't worry, everything is okay with the car.
Repairing something
The fixed expression 'etwas in Ordnung bringen' means to repair something, solve a problem, or clarify a matter. The 'etwas' (something) is in the accusative.
EXAMPLE
Der Techniker hat die Heizung wieder in Ordnung gebracht.
The technician fixed the heating again.
Typical verbs
To create or maintain the state of tidiness, fixed verb-noun combinations are used. The most common are 'Ordnung machen' (to tidy up), 'Ordnung schaffen' (to create/restore order), and 'Ordnung halten' (to keep things tidy).
EXAMPLE
In meinem Zimmer muss ich dringend Ordnung schaffen.
I urgently need to restore order in my room.
Typical adjectives
When referring to a sequence, 'Ordnung' (order) is often combined with an adjective that describes the type of sorting. Typical examples are 'alphabetische Ordnung' (alphabetical order), 'chronologische Ordnung' (chronological order), or 'numerische Ordnung' (numerical order).
EXAMPLE
Bitte sortieren Sie die Dokumente in alphabetischer Ordnung.
Please sort the documents in alphabetical order.
Formal context
The meaning 'system of rules' is often used in formal, legal, or political contexts. A very common collocation is 'die öffentliche Ordnung' (public order).
EXAMPLE
Ruhestörung kann als Störung der öffentlichen Ordnung gelten.
Disturbing the peace can be considered a disturbance of public order.
Compare with
Ordnung vs Familie
family
'die Familie' and 'die Ordnung' are usually very different words in everyday life. They can mainly be confused in biology. There, both are names for levels in the classification of living organisms. 'Ordnung' is a higher level; 'Familie' is below it. So an order can contain several families. Outside this biological context, 'Familie' usually means relatives or family, while 'Ordnung' more often means tidiness, rules, or sequence.
Ordnung
Die Ordnung der Raubtiere umfasst verschiedene Familien, zum Beispiel Katzen und Hunde.
The order of carnivores includes different families, such as cats and dogs.
Familie
Der Fuchs gehört in der Biologie zur Familie der Hunde.
In biology, the fox belongs to the dog family.
In real life
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