Realizieren

Realisieren is a German verb that means to realize in the sense of turning an idea, plan, or concept into reality, and to implement or execute something. It is used for both practical outcomes, such as bringing a project to fruition, and financial outcomes, such as realizing profits or gains.

The term derives from the French realiser, with the modern German noun forms being Realisierung or, less commonly, Realisation. Realisierung is the standard form in contemporary German. The verb is regular in its conjugation: ich realisiere, du realisierst, er realisiert; präteritum realisierte; perfekt habe realisiert.

Usage and nuance: realisieren takes a direct object in the accusative, for example: einen Plan realisieren, eine Idee realisieren, eine Vision realisieren. In a financial context one speaks of Gewinne realisieren or Verluste realisieren when profits or losses are realized by selling an asset or closing a position. The term often implies bringing something into practice or making it concretely effective, rather than merely conceiving it.

Relation to related terms: synonyms include verwirklichen, umsetzen, durchführen. Verwirklichung emphasizes the realization of the goal or dream, while Umsetzung highlights the practical conversion into action. Realisierung as a noun can denote the process of realization; Realisation (with the alternative spelling) is encountered in older or specialized usage.

Examples: Das Unternehmen möchte seinen Wachstumsplan realisieren. Sie hat ihren Traum endlich realisiert. Der Gewinn wurde im letzten Quartal realisiert.