It’s what you need when booking a room, borrowing a car, or requesting someone’s time. In German, it’s die Verfügung. This is your German word of the day, and it’s a polite, formal way to talk about what is—or isn’t—available.
The noun Verfügung means availability or disposal, 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-goong].
Ver like “fair,”
fü like the French tu, rounded and fronted,
gung ends in a soft nasal “oong,”
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
Verfügung in this sense refers to accessibility or availability, particularly in formal or professional language.
Typical phrases include:
zur Verfügung stehen – to be available / to be at someone’s disposal
etwas zur Verfügung haben – to have something available
nicht zur Verfügung stehen – to be unavailable
zur freien Verfügung – freely available, unrestricted
Examples:
“Uns steht nicht genug Zeit zur Verfügung.”
→ We don’t have enough time available.“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 von Ressourcen ist begrenzt.
The availability of resources is limited.
Accusative:
Ich habe die Verfügung über den Raum beantragt.
I requested access to the room.
Dative:
Uns steht das Equipment leider nicht zur Verfügung.
The equipment is unfortunately not available to us.
Genitive:
Die Dauer der Verfügung hängt vom Projekt ab.
The duration of availability depends on the project.
Feminine case pattern: die, die, der, der
Word variations and language tidbits
Common related expressions:
zur Verfügung stehen – to be available
etwas zur Verfügung haben – to have access to something
Verfügbarkeitszeit – availability window
zur freien Verfügung – unrestricted use
Verfügungsgewalt – authority to access or use
In formal writing, Germans often use Verfügung instead of simpler terms like haben or da sein, especially when offering help or outlining access.
📘 Duden entry
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