anzeigen

Anzeigen is a German term with multiple related meanings, depending on context. It can function as a noun in plural form and as a verb. The noun forms areAnzeige (singular) and Anzeigen (plural), while the verb is anzeigen, meaning to announce, indicate, display, or report. The word has broad use in daily language, business, and law.

As a noun, Anzeigen typically means advertisements or notices, especially in print media or online platforms. In everyday language, people refer to “eine Anzeige schalten” when they place an advertisement, for example in a newspaper or a magazine. The plural Anzeigen is commonly used in advertising contexts, and many media outlets have an Anzeigenabteilung, the department responsible for advertisements.

In a legal or administrative sense, Anzeige can mean a formal report or complaint. In German law, to “eine Anzeige erstatten” is to file a report with authorities, such as reporting a crime or incident. The phrase “eine Anzeige gegen someone erstatten” denotes filing a complaint against that person. This use is distinct from the advertising sense but shares the underlying idea of presenting information to others or authorities.

In addition to nouns, anzeigen as a verb covers several related meanings, including to display or show information, to indicate something, or to announce something publicly. In technology and user interfaces, phrases like Bildschirmanzeige (screen display) reflect the sense of showing information or data.

Etymologically, anzeigen traces back to Germanic roots related tozeigen, meaning “to show.” The term is widely used in German-speaking regions and appears in both formal and informal registers.