to orient / to inform
Loading your saved state.
to orient oneself
To determine one's own position and find the right way, often with the help of a map, a compass, or landmarks.
In der fremden Stadt musste ich mich erst einmal mit einem Stadtplan orientieren.
In the unfamiliar city, I first had to orient myself with a city map.
to orient oneself toward
To follow someone or something; to take something as a model, standard, or guideline.
Bei meinem Entwurf habe ich mich an der klassischen Architektur orientiert.
For my design, I oriented myself toward classical architecture.
to inform
To inform or brief someone about a matter. This usage is rather formal.
Der Abteilungsleiter orientierte die Mitarbeiter über die neuen Unternehmensziele.
The department head informed the employees about the new company goals.
In the meanings 'den Weg finden' (to find the way) and 'sich nach etwas richten' (to follow something / be guided by something), 'orientieren' (to orient) is a reflexive verb. So you always have to use 'sich' (oneself): mich, dich, sich, uns, euch, sich.
Ich muss mich kurz orientieren, bevor wir weitergehen.
I need to orient myself briefly before we continue.
The preposition 'an' (+ dative) changes the meaning. Without a preposition, 'sich orientieren' usually means to find one's own location. With 'sich orientieren an', it means to take something as a model or standard.
Er orientierte sich mit dem Kompass nach Norden.
He oriented himself northward with the compass.
When finding your way, you often orient yourself 'mit' (with) an aid or 'anhand von' (by means of) something recognizable. Typical phrases are 'sich mit einer Karte orientieren' (to orient oneself with a map) or 'sich an den Sternen orientieren' (to orient oneself by the stars).
Ohne Stadtplan kann ich mich in dieser riesigen Stadt nicht orientieren.
Without a city map, I can't orient myself in this huge city.
In the meaning 'sich nach etwas richten' (to follow something / be guided by something), the preposition 'an' is always followed by the dative. You orient yourself toward a person (dative) or toward a thing (dative).
Das Design orientiert sich an den neuesten Trends.
The design is oriented toward the latest trends.
In the meaning 'jemanden informieren' (to inform someone), the verb is not reflexive but transitive: Man orientiert jemanden (accusative) über etwas (accusative). This usage is formal and typical of written language or business communication.
Bitte orientieren Sie mich über den aktuellen Stand des Projekts.
Please inform me about the current status of the project.
to inform
In a formal context, informieren and orientieren can both mean conveying information about a matter to someone. Informieren generally refers to passing on information, whereas orientieren tends to express an overview that helps put things into context or gives an overview of the situation. Use informieren for individual or general news and orientieren for a formal overview.
Die Leitung orientierte die Mitarbeiter über die aktuelle Lage.
The management briefed the employees on the current situation.
Die Leitung informierte die Mitarbeiter über die geplante Änderung.
The management informed the employees about the planned change.
