noun
service
B1
Dienst means service, duty or work shift; can refer to public service or a specific task. Noun: der Dienst (masculine). Plural Dienste. Declines regularly; genitive des Dienstes. Used in compounds (Hausdienst) and phrases like im Dienst/auf Dienst. No irregular plural; common in administrative contexts.
Examples
Morgen habe ich Dienst.
I'm on duty tomorrow.
Nachdem der Lehrer seinen Dienst beendete, gingen die Schüler nach Hause, weil der Unterricht fertig war.
After the teacher finished his shift, the students went home because the class was over.
Der Dienst beginnt um acht Uhr morgens.
The shift starts at eight in the morning.
Details
Mnemonics
Picture a uniformed worker with a badge that says 'Dienst' (service).
Sounds like 'dean's t' — imagine a dean offering a service.
der — imagine the badge has a male silhouette to recall 'der Dienst'.
Notes
Dienst can mean 'shift', 'duty', or 'service' depending on context (e.g., 'Schicht' vs 'Dienstleistung').