German word

Personal

Pronunciation

IPA/pɛɐ̯zoˈnaːl/

Meaning

  • neuter nounstaff

Example

Wir brauchen mehr Personal für die Veranstaltung.

We need more staff for the event.

Illustration for Personal (staff)

More examples

Das Personal arbeitet heute länger.

The staff are working longer today.

Core concept

A shared pool of workers filling the roles needed to run an organization or event.

Common phrases

  • ausreichend Personal

    sufficient staff

  • engagiertes Personal

    committed staff

  • auf Personal angewiesen sein

    rely on staff

Similar words

Mitarbeiter: An individual employee of a company or organization.
Kollegen: People who work alongside one another in the same workplace.
Angestellte: Paid employees working under an employment arrangement.
Belegschaft: All employees belonging to a company or department.

Definition in German

Die in einer Organisation oder Einrichtung zusammenarbeitenden oder beschäftigten Personen als Gruppe.

Word origin

German Personal comes through French personnel from Latin personalis, meaning related to a person and later referring to an organization's staff.

Usage tips

  • Das Personal is normally a neuter singular collective noun, so standard usage is Das Personal arbeitet, while individual workers are Mitarbeiter or Angestellte.

Other meanings

  • employeesnoun

Related words

  • Personalabteilungpersonnel departmentnoun
  • Personalwesenhuman resourcesnoun
  • Personalmangelstaff shortagenoun

Word lists with this word