How do Germans say "announcement"?

Depending on the kind of announcement, there are several different German words for “to announce”. The most universal is “Ankündigung” (f.) and the verb is “ankündigen”. These are used when letting someone know something before it happens. When this is for a lot of people, such as the population at large, the word is “Bekanntgabe” (f.).

Specific for announcements heard over loudspeakers or intercoms (such as at the airport or train station) are the words “Ansage” (f.) or “Durchsage” (f.). A written announcement (for example an advertisement in a newspaper) is “Anzeige” (f.) in German:

– “Er hat angekündigt dass er morgen kündigt.” – “He announced that he would quit tomorrow.”
– “Ich warte auf die Bekanntgabe der Wahlergebnisse.” – “I am waiting for the announcement of the election results.”
– “Hast du die Durchsage gehört? Der Zug ist spät!” – “Did you hear the announcement? The train is late!”
– “Ich lese immer die Todesanzeigen zuerst.” – “I always read the obituaries (announcements of death) first.”


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