Table of Contents
Understanding Technical Texts in German
Technical texts in German often feel dense and compact, but they follow clear patterns. At B2 level you begin to handle user manuals, basic research summaries, product descriptions, and popular science articles in German.
This chapter focuses on how these texts are typically structured and worded, and on the vocabulary and constructions that are especially common in German technical writing.
Typical Text Types and Structures
Technical texts usually have a very clear, functional structure. Even short texts often contain recognizable parts. In German these parts are often introduced or signaled by set phrases.
A very common basic pattern is:
- General introduction of the topic
- More precise description or definition
- Explanation of function, process, or method
- Possible applications, examples, or advantages
- Limitations, risks, or conditions
You often see sections with headings like:
| German heading | English meaning | Typical content |
|---|---|---|
| Einleitung | Introduction | General overview, context, aim |
| Hintergrund | Background | Existing knowledge, context, definitions |
| Ziel | Aim / Objective | What the text, project, or experiment wants to do |
| Methode | Method | How something was done or tested |
| Ergebnis(se) | Result(s) | What was found or observed |
| Diskussion | Discussion | Interpretation, pros and cons, implications |
| Fazit | Conclusion | Summary and final evaluation |
| Ausblick | Outlook | Future developments, open questions |
Technical product descriptions often follow a different but still regular structure:
- Short overview sentence
- Technical data and specifications
- Instructions for installation or use
- Safety and warning notes
- Maintenance and troubleshooting
Look for small signals in the text. Phrases like “Zunächst”, “Im Folgenden”, “Abschließend”, “Zusammenfassend” help you see where one part ends and another begins.
Typical Sentence Structure in Technical Texts
Technical texts prefer precise, compact sentences. At B2 level you will often see:
Subordinate clauses with “dass” and “weil”
Relative clauses to add exact detail
Infinitive constructions with “um … zu”
Passive voice to focus on processes instead of people
For example:
„In diesem Bericht werden die Ergebnisse einer Studie vorgestellt, die im Jahr 2020 durchgeführt wurde.“
Here you can observe:
Main clause in passive: „werden … vorgestellt“
Relative clause: „die im Jahr 2020 durchgeführt wurde“
Many sentences combine several of these elements to pack in detail without becoming too informal.
In technical texts passive voice, relative clauses, and infinitive constructions with “zu” appear very often. Practice recognizing them quickly so you can focus on the content.
Passive Voice in Technical Contexts
Technical texts often describe processes where the person performing the action is unimportant. German uses passive for this.
Two very common forms are:
- Vorgangspassiv (werden + Partizip II) for processes
- Man-passive with “man” for general actions
Examples:
„Die Daten werden automatisch gespeichert.“
„Die Proben wurden im Labor analysiert.“
„Man misst die Temperatur alle fünf Minuten.“
In manuals and instructions you often see:
„Die Schrauben werden fest angezogen.“
„Die Einstellungen werden im Menü vorgenommen.“
Frequently the subject is not a person at all, but a device or system:
„Das System wird über einen Schalter aktiviert.“
„Die Software wird auf dem Server installiert.“
In more formal technical texts the “man”-passive is less common and the real passive with “werden” is preferred because it sounds more neutral and objective.
Nominal Style and Compounds
German technical writing often uses many nouns. Verbs and whole actions are turned into nouns. This is called “Nominalstil”.
Compare:
More verbal:
„Wir messen die Temperatur regelmäßig, um die Maschine zu kontrollieren.“
Nominal style:
„Zur regelmäßigen Temperaturmessung und Maschinenkontrolle …“
You will frequently see nouns that come from verbs or adjectives:
| Verb / adjective | Nominalization |
|---|---|
| messen | die Messung |
| prüfen | die Prüfung |
| entwickeln | die Entwicklung |
| verbinden | die Verbindung |
| einstellen | die Einstellung |
| auswerten | die Auswertung |
| effizient | die Effizienz |
| möglich | die Möglichkeit |
| notwendig | die Notwendigkeit |
German technical texts also love compound nouns. Several nouns are combined into one long word, often with linking letters.
Examples:
„Datenverarbeitungssystem“
„Kühlmittelsensor“
„Sicherheitsvorschrift“
„Energieverbrauchsmessung“
Very often the last part of the compound tells you the main idea:
| Compound | Main element | Meaning of main element |
|---|---|---|
| Datenbanksystem | System | system |
| Kommunikationsprotokoll | Protokoll | protocol |
| Temperaturmessgerät | Gerät | device |
| Stromversorgungseinheit | Einheit | unit |
| Wasseraufbereitungsanlage | Anlage | plant / installation |
When you see a very long noun, try to identify the last part first. That gives you the basic meaning, then add the earlier parts.
In long compound nouns, the last element is always the grammatical head and carries the main meaning. Start decoding from the end.
Typical Connectors and Logical Relations
Technical texts must be clear and logical. To show relationships such as cause, effect, contrast, and condition, German uses specific connectors.
Here are some of the most useful ones:
| Relation | Connector / phrase | Simple translation |
|---|---|---|
| Addition | außerdem, zusätzlich, ferner | moreover, additionally, further |
| Cause | deshalb, daher, aus diesem Grund | therefore, for this reason |
| Condition | wenn, falls, sofern | if, in case, provided that |
| Contrast | jedoch, allerdings, hingegen | however, though, by contrast |
| Example | zum Beispiel, etwa, beispielsweise | for example |
| Purpose | um … zu, damit | in order to, so that |
| Result | folglich, infolgedessen | consequently |
| Limitation | nur, lediglich, unter der Bedingung, sofern | only, merely, under the condition |
| Sequence | zunächst, danach, anschließend, abschließend | first, then, subsequently, finally |
You will often see combinations such as:
„Zunächst werden die Daten gesammelt. Anschließend werden sie ausgewertet. Abschließend werden die Ergebnisse präsentiert.“
Technical texts like clear logical structure. Follow these connectors to understand the argument.
Describing Processes and Procedures
Technical writing often explains how something works or how to do something. German uses typical patterns for this.
To describe a general process, present tense is common:
„Zuerst wird das Gerät eingeschaltet. Danach prüft das System alle Verbindungen. Wenn alle Komponenten korrekt verbunden sind, startet das Programm automatisch.“
For step-by-step procedures in manuals you often see:
Short imperative sentences:
„Öffnen Sie das Gehäuse. Entfernen Sie die Abdeckung. Schalten Sie das Gerät aus, bevor Sie den Stecker ziehen.“
Or neutral instructions in passive:
„Das Gehäuse wird geöffnet. Anschließend wird die Abdeckung entfernt.“
For processes in nature or technology:
„Wenn die Temperatur steigt, dehnt sich das Material aus.“
„Sobald der Sensor ein Signal erhält, sendet er die Daten an den Rechner.“
Look for “wenn”, “sobald”, “falls” to see when something happens, and “dann”, “danach” or “anschließend” to see what happens next.
Describing Data, Results, and Trends
Technical and scientific texts often talk about measurements, results, and changes. Some very frequent verbs and phrases describe trends and comparisons.
To describe change:
| German verb / phrase | English meaning |
|---|---|
| steigen, ansteigen | to rise, increase |
| sinken, abnehmen | to fall, decrease |
| sich erhöhen | to increase |
| sich verringern, sich reduzieren | to decrease, reduce |
| konstant bleiben | to remain constant |
| schwanken | to fluctuate |
| sich stabilisieren | to stabilize |
Example sentences:
„Die Temperatur steigt langsam an.“
„Der Energieverbrauch hat sich deutlich verringert.“
„Der Druck bleibt konstant.“
To describe results and comparisons:
„Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass …“
„Die Messwerte deuten darauf hin, dass …“
„Im Vergleich zu älteren Modellen arbeitet das neue Gerät effizienter.“
„Die untersuchten Proben unterscheiden sich nur geringfügig.“
These structures appear very often in study summaries and technical reports.
Typical Technical Vocabulary and Phrases
Many technical texts across different fields share a “neutral” technical vocabulary. Even if you do not know specialized terms for one discipline, these general words help you understand the structure and logic.
Some very frequent nouns:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| die Funktion | function |
| die Eigenschaft | property, characteristic |
| die Anwendung | application, use |
| die Voraussetzung | prerequisite, condition |
| die Bedingung | condition |
| der Vorgang | process |
| der Prozess | process |
| der Ablauf | sequence, course |
| die Aufgabe | task, function |
| der Zweck | purpose |
| der Vorteil | advantage |
| der Nachteil | disadvantage |
| das Risiko | risk |
| der Wert | value |
| der Faktor | factor |
| der Parameter | parameter |
| der Bereich | area, field |
| die Komponente | component |
| das Element | element |
| der Bestandteil | component, part |
Common verbs:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| beschreiben | to describe |
| bestimmen | to determine |
| beeinflussen | to influence |
| ermöglichen | to make possible |
| verhindern | to prevent |
| vergleichen | to compare |
| untersuchen | to examine, investigate |
| entwickeln | to develop |
| anwenden | to apply |
| verwenden, nutzen | to use |
| bestehen aus | to consist of |
| führen zu | to lead to |
| basieren auf | to be based on |
| abhängen von | to depend on |
These words are not very “scientific”, but they appear constantly in technical and semi-technical texts.
Reading Strategies for Technical German
Technical texts can be complex, but they are usually logically organized. Use some simple strategies:
First, identify the text type. Is it a manual, a product description, a research summary, or a popular science article? This tells you what to expect.
Second, look at headings, subheadings, and diagrams. They often give you the main structure without reading every sentence.
Third, scan for key nouns and repeated technical terms. German technical texts often repeat key words like “Temperatur”, “Druck”, “System”, “Signal”. These words connect different parts of the argument.
Fourth, do not stop for every unknown word. Focus on verbs and connectors so that you understand the process and logic.
Finally, notice how passive, relative clauses, and nominalizations are used. The more you recognize these patterns, the easier technical German becomes.
When reading technical texts, focus first on structure, connectors, and key nouns, not on every single unknown word. Understanding the process is more important than knowing every term.
Vocabulary List
| German | English |
|---|---|
| die Einleitung | introduction |
| der Hintergrund | background |
| das Ziel | aim, objective |
| die Methode | method |
| das Ergebnis, die Ergebnisse | result, results |
| die Diskussion | discussion |
| das Fazit | conclusion |
| der Ausblick | outlook, future perspective |
| das System | system |
| das Gerät | device, apparatus |
| die Komponente | component |
| die Anlage | plant, installation |
| die Einheit | unit |
| die Funktion | function |
| die Eigenschaft | property, characteristic |
| die Anwendung | application, use |
| die Voraussetzung | prerequisite, condition |
| die Bedingung | condition |
| der Vorgang | process |
| der Prozess | process |
| der Ablauf | sequence, course |
| die Aufgabe | task, function |
| der Zweck | purpose |
| der Vorteil | advantage |
| der Nachteil | disadvantage |
| das Risiko | risk |
| der Wert | value |
| der Faktor | factor |
| der Parameter | parameter |
| der Bereich | area, field |
| der Bestandteil | component, part |
| die Messung | measurement |
| die Prüfung | test, inspection |
| die Entwicklung | development |
| die Verbindung | connection, link |
| die Einstellung | setting, adjustment |
| die Auswertung | evaluation, analysis |
| die Effizienz | efficiency |
| die Möglichkeit | possibility |
| die Notwendigkeit | necessity |
| die Datenverarbeitung | data processing |
| das Kommunikationsprotokoll | communication protocol |
| die Stromversorgung | power supply |
| die Temperaturmessung | temperature measurement |
| die Energieverbrauchsmessung | energy consumption measurement |
| steigen | to rise, increase |
| ansteigen | to increase |
| sinken | to fall, decrease |
| abnehmen | to decrease |
| sich erhöhen | to increase |
| sich verringern | to decrease |
| sich reduzieren | to reduce |
| konstant bleiben | to remain constant |
| schwanken | to fluctuate |
| sich stabilisieren | to stabilize |
| beschreiben | to describe |
| bestimmen | to determine |
| beeinflussen | to influence |
| ermöglichen | to make possible |
| verhindern | to prevent |
| vergleichen | to compare |
| untersuchen | to examine, investigate |
| entwickeln | to develop |
| anwenden | to apply |
| verwenden | to use |
| nutzen | to use |
| bestehen aus | to consist of |
| führen zu | to lead to |
| basieren auf | to be based on |
| abhängen von | to depend on |
| deshalb | therefore |
| daher | therefore |
| aus diesem Grund | for this reason |
| jedoch | however |
| allerdings | however, though |
| hingegen | by contrast |
| zum Beispiel | for example |
| beispielsweise | for example |
| zunächst | first, initially |
| anschließend | subsequently, afterwards |
| danach | after that, then |
| abschließend | finally, in conclusion |
| folglich | consequently |
| infolgedessen | as a result, consequently |
| sofern | provided that |
| falls | in case, if |
| sobald | as soon as |
| um … zu | in order to (infinitive construction) |
| die Sicherheitsvorschrift | safety regulation |