21 December 2025
How do you use zur Verfügung in German?
It’s what you need when booking a room, borrowing a car, or requesting someone’s time. In German, the key phrase is zur Verfügung stehen: to be available. This is your German word of the day, and it’s a polite, formal way to talk about what is - or isn’t - available.
Verfügung can mean an order or disposal/control; in zur Verfügung stehen, the phrase means to be available, and it’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German. Whether you’re writing an email, managing resources, or offering help, this word is one of the cornerstones of formal German.
It’s a feminine noun, so we say die Verfügung (not sure when to use die vs. der? Our video lesson makes German gender finally click).
Pronunciation
Verfügung is pronounced [fer-FÜÜ-gung].
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Ver is unstressed, roughly “fer”; the r is often vocalized,
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fü - long ü: say a steady “ee” while rounding your lips,
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gung - short u, as in “put,” plus the ng of “sing,”
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Stress is on the second syllable: ver-FÜG-ung
It sounds formal - because it is.
Example sentences:
Mir steht ein Auto zur Verfügung.I have a car available to me.
Der Raum steht ab Montag zur Verfügung.The room will be available starting Monday.
Nuance and usage tips
In these fixed phrases, Verfügung expresses having something available or at one’s disposal, particularly in formal or professional language.
Typical phrases include:
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zur Verfügung stehen - to be available / to be at someone’s disposal
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etwas zur Verfügung haben - to have something available
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nicht zur Verfügung stehen - to be unavailable
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zur freien Verfügung - freely available, unrestricted
zur Verfügung stellen - to provide, to make available
Examples:
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“Uns steht nicht genug Zeit zur Verfügung.”→ We don’t have enough time available.
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“Ich stehe Ihnen gern zur Verfügung.”→ I’m happy to assist you / I’m at your service.
This phrasing is common in customer service, business emails, contracts, and polite offers.
How does this word come up in real conversations?
You’ll hear Verfügung often in formal speech or professional settings:
“Der Besprechungsraum steht dir ab 10 Uhr zur Verfügung.” - The meeting room is available to you from 10 a.m.“Ich stehe Ihnen morgen wieder zur Verfügung.” - I’ll be available to you again tomorrow.
It’s also a very polite way to say “I’m here to help.”
Sample Dialogue (Beginner Level)
Laura: Haben wir einen Beamer fürs Meeting?Omar: Ja, der steht uns zur Verfügung.Laura: Super. Und auch ein Laptop?Omar: Den bring ich mit.
Laura: Do we have a projector for the meeting?Omar: Yes, it’s available to us.Laura: Great. And a laptop?Omar: I’ll bring that with me.
Grammatical case examples:
Nominative:Die Verfügung des Gerichts ist wichtig.The court order is important.
Accusative:Ich habe die Verfügung gelesen.I read the order.
Dative:Uns steht das Equipment leider nicht zur Verfügung.The equipment is unfortunately not available to us.
Genitive:Der Inhalt der Verfügung ist klar.The content of the order is clear.
Feminine case pattern: die, die, der, der
Word variations and language tidbits
Common related expressions:
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zur Verfügung stehen - to be available
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etwas zur Verfügung haben - to have access to something
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Verfügbarkeitszeit - availability window
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zur freien Verfügung - unrestricted use
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Verfügungsgewalt - authority to access or use
Careful: availability as a property is die Verfügbarkeit. Verfügung can mean an order or the authority to dispose of something; eine einstweilige Verfügung is an interim injunction. Use the full phrases zur Verfügung stehen/haben/stellen when talking about having or providing access.
📘 Duden entry🎥 Want to truly master German vocabulary in a way that sticks? Our free video course teaches you the top 1000 nouns with real-life examples, clear grammar, and smart memory tips to speed up your learning.
Ready for more German Words of the Day?Do you know what Vergangenheit means? It’s all behind you - but worth revisiting.And what about Vergleich? That one might help you decide what’s really better.
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