reservieren

Reservieren is a German verb meaning to reserve something in advance or to book. It is used transitively with a direct object, typically referring to seats, tables, rooms, tickets, or other resources. Examples include: Ich möchte einen Tisch reservieren. Die Reservierung kann telefonisch, online oder persönlich vorgenommen werden. The present participle is reserved as reservieren, with the past participle reserviert: Ich habe einen Tisch reserviert.

Noun forms and related phrases. The common noun is die Reservierung (the reservation). Phrasal expressions include eine Reservierung vornehmen or eine Reservierung tätigen. The gerund form Reservieren exists but is less common in everyday language; instead, speakers use Reservierung or the verb phrase vornehmen.

Etymology and usage notes. Reservieren is borrowed from French réserver, itself from Latin reservare, meaning to keep back or set aside. In today's German, reservieren is the standard verb for securing a seat, table, room, or service in advance. It is often contrasted with buchen, which is frequently used for travel arrangements like Flüge or Hotels, where both terms may be understood but reservieren emphasizes the act of reserving rather than purchasing.

See also and related terms. Related concepts include die Reservierung (the reservation), das Buchen (booking), and the phrases eine Reservierung bestätigen or stornieren. In practice, reservieren and buchen are complementary tools for organizing arrangements in hospitality and travel contexts.