postal code / ZIP code
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postal code
A combination of numbers or letters that is added to an address to make sorting and delivering mail easier.
Vergiss nicht, die Postleitzahl auf den Briefumschlag zu schreiben.
Don't forget to write the postal code on the envelope.
The word is made up of 'die Post' (the mail/post), the stem of 'leiten' (to guide/direct), and 'die Zahl' (the number). So it is literally a number that guides the mail to the right place.
Die Postleitzahl hilft, Briefe schneller zu sortieren.
The postal code helps sort letters more quickly.
In everyday life, especially on forms and in address fields, the abbreviation 'PLZ' is almost always used. The letters are pronounced individually: P-L-Z.
Bitte geben Sie Ihre Straße und die PLZ an.
Please provide your street and postal code.
In connection with addresses and forms, the postal code is often used with certain verbs. Typical ones are 'die Postleitzahl angeben' (to provide the postal code), 'eingeben' (to enter), or 'eintragen' (to fill in/write in).
Ich muss noch die richtige Postleitzahl für diese Stadt suchen.
I still need to look up the correct postal code for this city.
address
'die Adresse' and 'die Postleitzahl' both belong to the topic of mail and where people live. But they are not the same thing. An address is the full set of details used to find a place or deliver mail: street, house number, postal code, and city. The postal code is only one part of that. Learners may confuse the words because both are often entered together on forms. If someone asks for the 'Adresse', the postal code alone is not enough.
Vor dem Termin hat ihr die Helferin noch die richtige Postleitzahl geschickt.
Before the appointment, the assistant sent her the correct postal code.
Auf dem Paket fehlt die vollständige Adresse des Kunden.
The customer's full address is missing from the package.