01
der Punkt
point
A single topic, aspect, or argument in a discussion, presentation, or on a list.
example
Lass uns zum nächsten Punkt auf der Tagesordnung kommen.
Let's move on to the next point on the agenda.
der Punkt
point
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word family
The noun 'der Punkt' (point) is the root of the adjective 'pünktlich' (punctual). To be punctual means to be there exactly at the right time, literally 'auf den Punkt' (on the point).
EXAMPLE
In Deutschland ist Pünktlichkeit sehr wichtig.
In Germany, punctuality is very important.
Common mistake
In German, the comma is used as the decimal separator, not the period. The period is often used to separate thousands. So it is written '3,14' and '1.000'.
EXAMPLE
Der Preis beträgt 99,95 Euro.
The price is 99.95 euros.
Typical collocations
In discussions or presentations, you often hear: 'Das ist ein wichtiger Punkt' (That is an important point), 'Kommen wir zum nächsten Punkt' (Let's move on to the next point), or 'Ich stimme Ihnen in diesem Punkt zu' (I agree with you on this point).
EXAMPLE
Das ist ein guter Punkt, darüber habe ich noch nicht nachgedacht.
That's a good point; I hadn't thought about that yet.
Typical collocations
In the context of games or sports, the verbs 'Punkte sammeln' (to collect points), 'Punkte bekommen' (to get points), or 'Punkte machen' (to score points) are often used.
EXAMPLE
Für jede richtige Antwort bekommen Sie zehn Punkte.
For every correct answer, you get ten points.
Correct preposition
To describe an exact place or point in time, 'Punkt' (point) is often used with the preposition 'an': 'an diesem Punkt' (at this point), 'am höchsten Punkt' (at the highest point).
EXAMPLE
An diesem Punkt der Geschichte wird es spannend.
At this point in the story, it gets exciting.
Sentence structure of the expression
In the fixed expression 'etwas auf den Punkt bringen' (to get something to the point), the object (what is being summarized) comes between 'auf den' and 'Punkt'.
EXAMPLE
Er kann komplexe Themen sehr gut auf den Punkt bringen.
He is very good at getting complex topics to the point.
Sentence structure of the expression
The idiom 'der springende Punkt' (the crucial point) often comes at the beginning of a sentence and introduces an explanation, frequently with 'ist, dass ...' (is that ...).
EXAMPLE
Der springende Punkt ist, dass wir die Frist einhalten müssen.
The crucial point is that we have to meet the deadline.
Compare with
Punkt vs Thema
topic / theme
'das Thema' and 'der Punkt' can both occur in conversations, texts, or meetings. 'das Thema' is the larger content that people are talking about. 'der Punkt' is more like a single aspect, an argument, or an item on a list. The words can be confused when several things are being discussed. A simple way to think about it is: the topic is the big heading; a point is one individual part of it or the especially important aspect.
Punkt
Im Meeting war der wichtigste Punkt die neue Arbeitszeit.
In the meeting, the most important point was the new working hours.
Thema
Am Montag sprechen wir im Kurs über das Thema Gesundheit.
On Monday, we will talk about the topic of health in class.
In real life
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