Meaning
To make arrangements for a journey.
Cultural Background
Germans are known for planning their 'Haupturlaub' (main vacation) months in advance to secure 'Frühbucherrabatte' (early bird discounts). In Austria, planning a journey often involves checking the 'ÖBB' (Austrian Federal Railways) schedules, as train travel is highly valued and well-integrated into planning. Swiss travel planning is synonymous with precision. Planning a journey here often means accounting for exact connection times between trains, buses, and cable cars. In the modern startup scene in Berlin, 'eine Reise planen' might mean finding a co-working space in Lisbon for a month, reflecting a shift from traditional tourism to 'workations'.
Use 'Urlaub' for fun
If you are planning a vacation for pleasure, 'einen Urlaub planen' sounds slightly more natural in casual German than 'eine Reise planen'.
Gender Alert
Remember that 'Reise' is feminine. Using 'ein Reise' is a very common beginner mistake that immediately marks you as a learner.
Meaning
To make arrangements for a journey.
Use 'Urlaub' for fun
If you are planning a vacation for pleasure, 'einen Urlaub planen' sounds slightly more natural in casual German than 'eine Reise planen'.
Gender Alert
Remember that 'Reise' is feminine. Using 'ein Reise' is a very common beginner mistake that immediately marks you as a learner.
Compound Nouns
You can combine 'Reise' with other words to be more specific, like 'Weltreise' (world trip) or 'Hochzeitsreise' (honeymoon).
Test Yourself
Fill in the correct form of the article and the verb 'planen'.
Ich _______ _______ Reise nach Paris. (Present tense)
The subject 'Ich' requires the verb form 'plane'. 'Reise' is feminine, so it needs 'eine'.
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
Select the correct sentence:
The perfect tense of 'planen' uses 'haben' and the past participle 'geplant'.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Was machst du da am Computer? B: ________________________.
This is the most natural and grammatically correct way to describe the action.
Match the phrase to the correct context.
When would you say 'Wir müssen die Geschäftsreise planen'?
'Geschäftsreise' specifically means business trip.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Types of Journeys
Leisure
- • Urlaub
- • Ausflug
- • Weltreise
Work
- • Geschäftsreise
- • Dienstreise
- • Konferenz
Practice Bank
4 exercisesIch _______ _______ Reise nach Paris. (Present tense)
The subject 'Ich' requires the verb form 'plane'. 'Reise' is feminine, so it needs 'eine'.
Select the correct sentence:
The perfect tense of 'planen' uses 'haben' and the past participle 'geplant'.
A: Was machst du da am Computer? B: ________________________.
This is the most natural and grammatically correct way to describe the action.
When would you say 'Wir müssen die Geschäftsreise planen'?
'Geschäftsreise' specifically means business trip.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsYes, but it means 'I plan to travel' (general intent), whereas 'Ich plane eine Reise' means you are planning a specific trip.
Yes, '{die|f} Reise' is always feminine in German. This never changes.
'Planen' is about the logistics and decisions. 'Vorbereiten' is about the physical actions like packing or getting your passport ready.
Use the compound noun: 'Ich plane eine Geschäftsreise'.
It is neutral. It is perfectly fine to use with your boss or with your best friend.
No, that would sound strange. For a walk, just say 'Ich gehe spazieren'.
It is the noun form: 'travel planning'. You might see this as a heading on a website.
Many do! Especially for summer holidays, planning often starts in December or January.
You can say: 'Ich liebe es, Reisen zu planen.'
Yes, 'der Trip' is common in informal German, especially among younger people.
Related Phrases
einen Urlaub buchen
similarTo book a holiday.
die Koffer packen
builds onTo pack the suitcases.
verreisen
similarTo go away on a trip.
eine Reiseroute zusammenstellen
specialized formTo put together an itinerary.
