alphabetische Reihenfolge
feminine
The English phrase 'alphabetical order' is translated into German as alphabetische Reihenfolge.
The term refers to the sequence of a collection of items.
Meaning: the sequence of a collection of items (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adjective alphabetische (alphabetical) and the feminine noun Reihenfolge (order/sequence).
How does it change in a sentence?
Because Reihenfolge is a feminine noun, the adjective alphabetisch takes the -e ending in the nominative singular without an article. The phrase changes to alphabetischen Reihenfolge when used in the accusative or dative case with a definite article, such as in the phrase in der alphabetischen Reihenfolge.
Did you know?
- In German dictionaries, the letters ä, ö and ü are usually sorted as a, o and u, or as ae, oe and ue. This can make finding a word in alphabetische Reihenfolge confusing for English speakers.
- The word Folge in Reihenfolge also means 'episode' when talking about a television series. This means the word for 'order' shares a root with the word for 'TV show episode'.
- While English uses 'order' as a general term, German can distinguish between Reihenfolge (the sequence of items) and Ordnung (a state of tidiness or a system of rules).
Examples in context
- Um die Dokumente zu klassifizieren, ordnen Sie sie bitte in alphabetischer Reihenfolge.To classify the documents, please arrange them in alphabetical order.
- In diesem alphabetischen Verzeichnis finden Sie alle wichtigen Kontaktdaten.In this alphabetical directory, you will find all the important contact information.
- Ich habe meine CDs nach dem Alphabet sortiert, damit ich sie leichter finden kann.I sorted my CDs alphabetically so that I can find them more easily.
- Kannst du bitte die Wörter in alphabetischer Reihenfolge aufschreiben?Can you please write down the words in alphabetical order?
- Bitte sortieren Sie die Namen in alphabetischer Reihenfolge.Please sort the names in alphabetical order.
- Bitte halten Sie die alphabetische Reihenfolge ein.Please follow the alphabetical order.
Example conversation
Hannah and Felix are organizing a contact list at work.
- HannahFelix, wie sollen wir die Namen sortieren?Felix, how should we sort the names?
- FelixWir nutzen am besten die alphabetische Reihenfolge.It's best if we use alphabetical order.
- HannahDas ist eine gute Idee, Hannah macht das.That is a good idea, Hannah will do it.
- FelixVielen Dank für deine Hilfe!Thank you very much for your help!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “alphabetical order” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
