All German word comparisons · Back to the topic overview
Meaning, sentence patterns and examples
| Word | Core meaning | Typical context | Grammar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nachricht | news; message | personal communication or new information | die Nachricht; die Nachrichten |
| Botschaft | significant message; embassy | a conveyed message or diplomatic institution | die Botschaft; die Botschaften |
| Mitteilung | communication; notice | informing someone, often officially | die Mitteilung; die Mitteilungen |
Nachricht
Meaning and usage: Use Nachricht for a text or other message from a person, and for information about a recent fact or event. The plural die Nachrichten can refer to a news program or news coverage. In personal communication, eine Nachricht does not have to arrive by phone; the surrounding words identify the medium.
Grammar: Feminine: die Nachricht, plural die Nachrichten. Jemandem eine Nachricht schicken takes a dative recipient and an accusative message. In Nachricht von jemandem erhalten, von takes dative. Broadcast news uses the plural die Nachrichten.
Ich habe dir gestern eine Nachricht geschickt.
I sent you a message yesterday.
Abends hören wir die Nachrichten.
We listen to the news in the evening.
Botschaft
Meaning and usage: Use Botschaft when a communication is presented as important or meaningful, often in elevated or public language. It can foreground what someone wants an audience to take away. The independent diplomatic sense means an embassy or its building; location and administrative context normally make this interpretation clear.
Grammar: Feminine: die Botschaft, plural die Botschaften. Eine Botschaft übermitteln has an accusative object. Bei der Botschaft einen Termin vereinbaren uses bei + dative for the diplomatic institution. Do not rely on the article to distinguish these meanings, because both are feminine.
Ihre Rede vermittelte eine Botschaft der Hoffnung.
Her speech conveyed a message of hope.
Ich habe einen Termin bei der Botschaft.
I have an appointment at the embassy.
Mitteilung
Meaning and usage: Use Mitteilung for something communicated so that someone knows about it. It is common with official, written or internal notices, though an oral Mitteilung is possible. The focus is giving information; it need not suggest the emotional or symbolic importance that Botschaft can carry.
Grammar: Feminine: die Mitteilung, plural die Mitteilungen. Jemandem eine Mitteilung machen uses dative for the recipient and accusative for the information item. Über + accusative can state its subject. Eine Mitteilung veröffentlichen means publish a notice or communication.
Die Schule hat eine Mitteilung über die neuen Öffnungszeiten veröffentlicht.
The school published a notice about the new opening hours.
Overlap and context
A school notice can be called a Nachricht or a Mitteilung, depending on how you frame it. Botschaft may also communicate factual information, but it commonly gives the message greater significance. These are tendencies, not guarantees of length, medium or emotional content. When Botschaft appears with visa, appointment or address information, first consider the embassy sense before translating it as a message.
Common mistakes
- Do not translate every Botschaft as message; die deutsche Botschaft can mean the German embassy.
- Do not assume Mitteilung is always written or Nachricht always a phone text.
- Use die Nachrichten for broadcast news; eine Nachricht is one message or item of information.
Memory aid: Nachricht brings news or a message; Mitteilung informs; Botschaft conveys a significant message—or names an embassy. Always check what the sentence is doing.
Try it
Complete: Für das Visum habe ich einen Termin bei der deutschen ___.
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Botschaft
This is the diplomatic institution. The other two nouns do not name an embassy.