Lebenslauf

noun
CV, resume
B1

Lebenslauf (der): a CV or résumé; also literal 'course of life'. Main meanings: CV/resume; biography summary. Masculine noun; plural Lebensläufe with umlaut. Regular declension. Common in job applications: 'Lebenslauf einreichen'. Not irregular but compound; distinguishes professional CV from longer autobiographical Lebensgeschichte.

Examples

Beim Vorstellungsgespräch sprachen sie über den Lebenslauf.
They talked about the resume during the interview.
Sie hat ihren Lebenslauf per E-Mail geschickt.
She sent her CV by email.
Die Bewerberin überarbeitete ihren Lebenslauf, weil der Personaler Fehler entdeckte.
The applicant revised her CV because the recruiter discovered mistakes.

Details

PluralLebensläufe

Declension

CaseSingularPlural
nominativeder Lebenslaufdie Lebensläufe
genitivedes Lebenslaufsder Lebensläufe
dativedem Lebenslaufden Lebensläufen
accusativeden Lebenslaufdie Lebensläufe

Mnemonics

👁️Imagine a one-page document titled 'Lebenslauf' listing life events.
👂literally 'life-run' — think of a summary of your life: CV.
⚧️der (masculine) — many compound nouns ending in -lauf are masculine: der Lebenslauf.

Notes

Lebenslauf is the standard German term for a CV/resume. In Germany, the Lebenslauf is usually chronological and often accompanied by a photo (though photo usage is declining).

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