die Pflicht
duty
A moral or legal obligation; a task or responsibility that someone must fulfill.
EXAMPLE
Es ist die Pflicht der Eltern, für ihre Kinder zu sorgen.
It is the duty of parents to care for their children.
die Pflicht
duty
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
in die Pflicht nehmen
to hold accountable
To hold someone responsible or assign them a task or responsibility.
EXAMPLE
Der Trainer nahm nach der Niederlage die gesamte Mannschaft in die Pflicht.
After the defeat, the coach held the entire team accountable.
die Pflicht
compulsory program
In sports, especially historically in figure skating, the part of a competition that consists of prescribed, compulsory figures or elements.
EXAMPLE
Früher war die Pflicht ein entscheidender Teil des Eiskunstlauf-Wettbewerbs, heute gibt es nur noch die Kür.
In the past, the compulsory program was a decisive part of the figure skating competition; today there is only the free skate.
Usage tips
Word family
'Die Pflicht' (duty) is historically related to the verb 'pflegen' (to care for). Originally, 'pflegen' also meant 'to be responsible for something'. So a duty is something one must take care of.
EXAMPLE
Die Pflege der alten Eltern ist für viele eine moralische Pflicht.
Caring for elderly parents is a moral duty for many people.
Sentence structure with infinitive
'Pflicht' is very often used in the construction 'die Pflicht haben, etwas zu tun' (to have the duty to do something). It is followed by an infinitive clause with 'zu'.
EXAMPLE
Jeder Bürger hat die Pflicht, die Gesetze zu respektieren.
Every citizen has the duty to respect the laws.
Common compounds
'Pflicht' is the base word of many important nouns that describe a legal or social obligation. Examples include 'die Schulpflicht' (compulsory schooling), 'die Impfpflicht' (mandatory vaccination), or 'die Anwesenheitspflicht' (mandatory attendance).
EXAMPLE
In Deutschland gilt eine allgemeine Schulpflicht.
In Germany, there is general compulsory schooling.
Typical collocations
Common combinations are 'seine Pflicht erfüllen' (to fulfill one's duty), 'eine Pflicht vernachlässigen' (to neglect a duty), or 'es als seine Pflicht ansehen' (to see it as one's duty). The type of duty is often described with adjectives like 'moralisch' (moral) or 'gesetzlich' (legal).
EXAMPLE
Ein Soldat muss seine Pflicht erfüllen.
A soldier must fulfill his duty.
Fixed expression
The expression 'jemanden in die Pflicht nehmen' means to hold someone responsible or to assign them a task. The person being held responsible is in the accusative.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem schlechten Ergebnis nahm der Chef die gesamte Abteilung in die Pflicht.
After the poor result, the boss held the entire department accountable.
Context: sports
This meaning is very specific and is used almost only in sports, especially in figure skating. It describes the compulsory part of a competition, as opposed to the freely designed 'Kür' (free program/free skate).
EXAMPLE
Die Läuferin war in der Pflicht sehr stark, aber in der Kür machte sie Fehler.
The skater was very strong in the compulsory program, but she made mistakes in the free skate.
Compare with
Pflicht vs Aufgabe
task / function / surrender
Aufgabe refers to the substantive content of a piece of work. Pflicht emphasizes that someone must do something because of a moral or legal obligation. The same action can be both: Aufgabe explains what needs to be done, while Pflicht emphasizes that it is binding.
Pflicht
Ich habe die Pflicht, die Kasse am Abend vollständig und korrekt abzurechnen.
It is my duty to balance the cash register completely and accurately at the end of the day.
Aufgabe
Zu meiner Aufgabe gehört es, die Kasse am Abend abzurechnen.
One of my tasks is to balance the cash register at the end of the day.
In real life
Loading video examples...