All German word comparisons · Back to the topic overview
Meaning, sentence patterns and examples
| Word | Core meaning | Typical context | Grammar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grund | reason; explanation or motive | decisions; explanations; justification | der Grund; plural Gründe; für + accusative |
| Ursache | cause | investigating problems, events, or conditions | die Ursache; plural Ursachen; für + accusative |
| Anlass | prompt; occasion | an opportunity to act; a particular event | der Anlass; plural Anlässe; für + accusative or zu + dative |
Grund
Meaning and usage: Grund can explain a person's choice or why something happened. It is a flexible everyday word, useful when asking why a meeting was canceled or why someone moved. It also has unrelated physical meanings such as ground and bottom, so context remains important.
Grammar: Masculine: der Grund, genitive des Grundes or Grunds, plural die Gründe. In this lesson's reason sense, plural is normal. Common combinations are der Grund für + accusative, aus diesem Grund, and aus persönlichen Gründen.
Der Grund für meinen Umzug ist meine neue Stelle.
The reason for my move is my new position.
Ursache
Meaning and usage: Ursache directs attention to what causes something. It suits an investigation into a technical fault, an accident, or a recurring problem. It can also concern human behavior; it is not restricted to physical or scientific causes.
Grammar: Feminine: die Ursache, genitive der Ursache, plural die Ursachen. Use die Ursache des Problems or die Ursache für + accusative. Cause and effect are often paired as Ursache und Wirkung.
Ein defektes Kabel war die Ursache für den Ausfall.
A faulty cable was the cause of the outage.
Anlass
Meaning and usage: Anlass can be what prompts an action, or the occasion on which something happens. A birthday may be an Anlass for a celebration; a complaint may provide Anlass to examine a procedure. It does not always mean a superficial or unimportant trigger.
Grammar: Masculine: der Anlass, genitive des Anlasses, plural die Anlässe. Common patterns include Anlass für + accusative, Anlass zu + dative, and jemandem Anlass geben, etwas zu tun. Aus Anlass introduces an occasion, especially in formal writing.
Ihr Besuch war der Anlass für unser gemeinsames Abendessen.
Her visit was the occasion for our dinner together.
Overlap and context
A complaint can be the Anlass for an inspection, while defective equipment is the Ursache of the problem and safety is the Grund for changing the procedure. That example separates the roles neatly, but real usage is less rigid. Grund can describe a cause, and Anlass can mean a reason. Ask which aspect the sentence foregrounds.
Common mistakes
- Do not impose the rule “Grund is always subjective; Ursache is always objective.”
- Do not replace Anlass with Ursache when you mean a festive occasion.
- Remember the umlaut in Gründe and Anlässe; Ursachen does not gain one.
Memory aid: Grund answers why; Ursache looks for what caused it; Anlass identifies what prompted it or the occasion.
Try it
Which word best fits a special occasion: Ihr Geburtstag ist ein besonderer ___?
Show the answer
Anlass
The birthday is an occasion, rather than an investigated cause or an explanation for a particular decision.