dienst

Dienst is a Germanic noun used in Dutch and German with meanings centered on service, duty, and an assigned function. In Dutch, dienst commonly denotes service or duty, as in military service (militaire dienst), conscription (dienstplicht), or being on duty (op dienst zijn). It also appears in terms about service provision and public administration, such as dienstverlening (service provision) and dienstregeling (timetable of planned service, for trains or buses). In everyday language a person can be 'in dienst' (employed by a company) or work a 'dienst' shift.

In German, Dienst likewise denotes service, duty, or a post. It is used for 'on duty' (im Dienst), 'public service' (der öffentliche Dienst), and workplace roles such as Dienststelle (office/agency) or Dienstzeit (duty period). The word occurs in common compounds such as Dienstleistung (service industry), Dienstreise (business trip), and Kundendienst (customer service), as well as Gottesdienst (church service).

Etymology and usage notes: the noun derives from the verb dienen to serve; cognate across Dutch and German. The sense of service extends from personal duty to organized public services and various administrative or ceremonial contexts, reflected in terms ranging from Gottesdienst to Kundendienst and Dienstleistung.