Verhältnisses

Verhältnis is a German noun with a range of closely related meanings. In everyday language it denotes a relation or connection between people, objects, events, or ideas, for example the relationship between colleagues or the connection between cause and effect. It also appears in social and political contexts to describe living conditions or the state of affairs, such as the “Verhältnisse am Arbeitsmarkt” or “persönliche Verhältnisse.”

In mathematics and the sciences, Verhältnis commonly means ratio or proportion. It is used to express how one quantity relates to another, as in das Verhältnis von A zu B or das Verhältnis zweier Größen. The term can cover simple quotients as well as more general proportional relationships or rates.

The plural Verhältnisse is frequently used for relationships, conditions, or circumstances in a broader sense. It appears in phrases like “gute Verhältnisse” (favorable conditions) or “Verhältnis zu jemandem” (relationship with someone). The expression im Verhältnis zu is also common and means in relation to or relative to.

Grammatical note: Verhältnisses is the genitive singular form of Verhältnis, written as des Verhältnisses after a definite article or a possessive determiner. It is used to indicate possession or attribution, for example: Die Größe des Verhältnisses (the magnitude of the ratio) or Die Bedeutung des Verhältnisses (the meaning of the relationship).