01
die Rettung
rescue
The act of freeing someone or something from a dangerous situation or emergency.
example
Die Rettung der verunglückten Bergsteiger dauerte mehrere Stunden.
The rescue of the injured mountain climbers took several hours.
die Rettung
rescue
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word structure
'Die Rettung' (rescue) is derived from the verb 'retten' (to rescue/save). The ending '-ung' forms a feminine noun that describes the action or result of the verb. This pattern is very common in German.
EXAMPLE
Die Rettung aus dem brennenden Haus war sehr gefährlich.
The rescue from the burning house was very dangerous.
Context clue
You can recognize the meaning from the sentence structure. If someone 'die Rettung ruft' (calls the emergency services), it means the emergency medical service. If something 'die Rettung ist' (is the rescue/lifesaver), it means unexpected help. If it is about 'die Rettung von jemandem' (the rescue of someone), it means the rescue operation.
EXAMPLE
Jemand hat die Rettung gerufen.
Someone called the emergency services.
Typical phrase
In an emergency, the phrase 'die Rettung rufen' (to call the emergency services) is used. This means alerting the medical emergency service (the ambulance) via the emergency number.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem Sturz hat er sofort die Rettung gerufen.
After the fall, he immediately called the emergency services.
Colloquial use
In colloquial language, 'Rettung' (rescue/lifesaver) is often used emotionally and exaggeratedly for welcome help in an everyday but unpleasant situation.
EXAMPLE
Dieser Kaffee am Morgen ist meine Rettung!
This coffee in the morning is my lifesaver!
Fixed expression
A common and somewhat dramatic phrase is 'jemandem zur Rettung eilen' (to rush to someone's rescue). It means coming quickly to help someone in an emergency.
EXAMPLE
Als das Kind ins Wasser fiel, eilte ihm ein Passant zur Rettung.
When the child fell into the water, a passerby rushed to his rescue.
Compare with
Rettung vs Hilfe
help
'die Hilfe' and 'die Rettung' can both mean that someone gets support. 'Hilfe' is more general: someone makes something easier or supports someone with a problem. 'Rettung' is stronger and fits when someone or something is freed from danger, great distress, or a very difficult situation. Learners may confuse the words because a rescue is also a kind of help. But not every kind of help is a rescue. For normal tasks, you say 'Hilfe'; for danger or a serious emergency, 'Rettung' is more likely.
Rettung
Nach dem Unfall kam die Rettung nach wenigen Minuten.
After the accident, the emergency services arrived within a few minutes.
Hilfe
Für die Bewerbung bat Maria ihre Freundin um Hilfe.
Maria asked her friend for help with the application.
In real life
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