Geschäft

Geschäft is a German noun with several closely related meanings. It most commonly denotes an organized economic activity—a business or enterprise. It can also refer to a shop or store, the physical place where goods are sold. In a broader sense it also means an affair or transaction, as in phrases like ein Geschäft machen (to do business) or ein Geschäft abschließen (to close a deal).

Usage and meanings in context. In economic discourse, das Geschäft can refer to a company or a market activity, while in retail it means the store where consumers buy goods. The plural form die Geschäfte can refer to multiple shops or to various business matters. Common expressions include Geschäft führen (to run a business), im Geschäft sein (to be in business), Geschäftsverhandlung (business negotiations), Geschäftspartner (business partner), and das Geschäftsjahr (fiscal year). The term also appears in compounds such as der Geschäftsführer (managing director) and die Geschäftsidee (business idea).

Nuance and distinction. In everyday speech Germans often use das Geschäft specifically for a physical shop, whereas Geschäft in a broader professional or economic context denotes the enterprise or activity. The plural Geschäfte can denote several shops or, in a figurative sense, several ongoing matters or deals.

Etymology. The word traces to Middle High German geschaft or geschaft, from Old High German gèschaft, with the sense of arrangement, undertaking or transaction. The prefix ge- is a common German formation for nouns related to actions or states and does not imply a plural.

See also. Geschäftsfähigkeit, Geschäftsleben, Geschäftsführung, Geschäftspartner, Geschäftsidee.