Tätigkeit

Tätigkeit is a German feminine noun (die Tätigkeit) and denotes an act of doing something, an activity or occupation. It refers to the process of performing actions or tasks and can describe professional duties, daily activities, or specific functions within a role. The term is used in everyday language as well as in professional, administrative, and academic contexts.

Etymology and scope: Die Tätigkeit is derived from the adjective tä­tig (active) with the noun-forming suffix -keit. The concept is closely related to words such as Aktivität and to the expression sich tätigen (to be active). In practice, Tätigkeit covers both concrete tasks and broader fields of activity.

Usage and nuance: The word is often used when describing tasks as a set or category rather than the broader notion of labor. It can refer to a person’s berufliche Tätigkeit (occupation) or to specific tasks within a project, for example, “Diese Tätigkeit umfasst Planung, Umsetzung und Kontrolle.” In legal or administrative language, it appears in job descriptions, qualifications, and reports to designate what someone does.

Related terms and typical collocations: Häufige Verbindungen sind Tätigkeitsfeld (field of activity), Tätigkeitsbericht (activity report) und Tätigkeitsverbot (prohibition of activity). The phrase Ausübung der Tätigkeit (exercise of the activity) is common in formal contexts. The distinction to Arbeit tends to emphasize the action or function performed rather than the broader notion of labor or paid employment.