order
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order
A command or instruction, especially in a military or formal business context.
Der Offizier gab die Ordre, die Stellung unter allen Umständen zu halten.
The officer gave the order to hold the position under all circumstances.
'Ordre' (order) is a formal and somewhat elevated loanword from French. It is mainly used in military, official, or business contexts to express authority.
Der General gab eine klare Ordre, die niemand zu hinterfragen wagte.
The general gave a clear order that no one dared to question.
In the sense of a command, 'Ordre' (order) is often combined with formal verbs. Typical phrases are 'eine Ordre erteilen' (to give an order), 'eine Ordre empfangen' (to receive an order), and 'eine Ordre ausführen' (to carry out an order).
Der Soldat führte die Ordre ohne Zögern aus.
The soldier carried out the order without hesitation.
This meaning is used exclusively in finance and stock trading. It refers to a customer's instruction to a bank or broker to trade securities at a specific time or price.
Ich habe meiner Bank die Ordre erteilt, meine Aktien bei diesem Kurs zu verkaufen.
I gave my bank the order to sell my shares at this price.
assignment / order / mission
'der Auftrag' and 'die Ordre' can both mean an instruction or an order. 'der Auftrag' is the normal word in everyday life and at work: someone is supposed to take care of something, or something is ordered. 'die Ordre' sounds much more formal, older-fashioned, or technical. You hear it especially with commands, in very formal contexts, or in finance when securities are to be bought or sold. Learners may confuse the words because both have to do with instructions. In normal German, however, 'Auftrag' is almost always more natural; 'Ordre' only fits in special contexts.
Die Bank führte die Ordre zum Kauf der Aktien am Morgen aus.
The bank carried out the order to buy the shares in the morning.
Der Techniker erledigt heute einen Auftrag in der Innenstadt.
The technician is taking care of an assignment downtown today.