der Treff
meetup
An informal appointment or planned meeting of people. Short form of 'Treffen' (meeting).
EXAMPLE
Machen wir morgen einen Treff im Café?
Shall we arrange a meetup at the café tomorrow?
der Treff
meetup / hangout
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Meanings
der Treff
hangout
A place where people meet regularly. Short form of 'Treffpunkt' (meeting point).
EXAMPLE
Das Jugendzentrum ist ein beliebter Treff für die Teenager aus der Nachbarschaft.
The youth center is a popular hangout for the teenagers from the neighborhood.
Usage tips
Word family
'Der Treff' is a nominalization derived directly from the verb 'treffen' (to meet). So it describes either the result or the place of meeting.
EXAMPLE
Wir treffen uns später. Der Treff ist vor dem Kino.
We're meeting later. The meeting point is in front of the cinema.
Register: colloquial
'Treff' is a colloquial short form for 'das Treffen' (the meeting) or 'der Treffpunkt' (the meeting point). It is used less often in formal or written contexts.
EXAMPLE
Lass uns einen Treff für nächste Woche ausmachen.
Let's arrange a meetup for next week.
Context clue
Whether a meeting or a place is meant can be recognized from the verb. 'Einen Treff haben/ausmachen' (to have/arrange a meetup) refers to the appointment. 'Ein Treff sein' (to be a hangout) or prepositions like 'am Treff' (at the meeting point/hangout) refer to the place.
EXAMPLE
Wir haben einen Treff um 17 Uhr.
We have a meetup at 5 p.m.
Typical collocations
When 'Treff' means an appointment or meetup, it is often combined with the verbs 'ausmachen' (to arrange) or 'vereinbaren' (to agree on/arrange).
EXAMPLE
Wir haben einen Treff im Park ausgemacht.
We arranged a meetup in the park.
Compare with
Treff vs treffen
to meet / to hit
Treffen and der Treff can both refer to a planned gathering of people. Treffen is the neutral standard term, while der Treff sounds more colloquial and concise. Both are possible in an ordinary conversation, but Treffen is usually better suited to neutral texts.
Treff
Unser Treff am Samstag findet wieder im Park statt.
Our meetup on Saturday will be in the park again.
treffen
Wir treffen uns am Samstag im Park.
We’re meeting in the park on Saturday.
In real life
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