vorbehaltlich

Subject to (Vorbehaltlich)

Level 5

vorbehaltlich + Genitive Case
Meaning: 'Subject to', 'Conditional upon', 'Pending'.
Register: Highly formal (Legal, Business, Administrative).

How It Works

In advanced German (C1+), vorbehaltlich is the standard way to express legal or administrative conditions. It is primarily a genitive preposition, meaning the noun phrase following it must usually be in the genitive case.

Key Characteristics:

  • Grammar: It typically requires the genitive (e.g., vorbehaltlich des Berichts). However, for plural nouns without an article or adjective, the dative is sometimes used (e.g., vorbehaltlich Beweisen) so the case is clearly marked.
  • Function: It signals a reservation. In legal terms, it often introduces an aufschiebende Bedingung; if the condition mentioned after vorbehaltlich is not met, the agreement does not take effect.
  • Regional Variation: vorbehaltlich is the exclusive standard form in Germany and Austria. The form vorbehältlich (with an umlaut) is a Helvetism used only in Swiss Standard German.

Usage Contexts:
This word is a hallmark of Juristendeutsch and Amtsdeutsch. You will find it in:

  • Contracts: 'Subject to payment...' (vorbehaltlich der Zahlung)
  • Official News: 'Subject to the board's approval...' (vorbehaltlich der Zustimmung des Vorstands)
  • Terms and Conditions: 'Subject to technical changes...' (vorbehaltlich technischer Änderungen)

Examples (4)

  1. Vorbehaltlich der Zustimmung des Aufsichtsrats wird der Vertrag morgen unterzeichnet.

    Subject to the approval of the supervisory board, the contract will be signed tomorrow.

    Word by Word: Subject-to the approval (gen.) of-the supervisory-board (gen.) becomes the contract tomorrow signed.

    Here, 'vorbehaltlich' introduces the condition (approval) that must be met before the contract can be signed.

  2. Die Lieferung erfolgt vorbehaltlich der vollständigen Bezahlung.

    Delivery will be made subject to full payment.

    Word by Word: The delivery occurs subject-to the full payment (gen.).

    This is a common phrase in business terms, indicating that the delivery depends entirely on the payment being completed.

  3. Alle Angaben sind ohne Gewähr und vorbehaltlich technischer Änderungen.

    All information is provided without guarantee and subject to technical changes.

    Word by Word: All information are without guarantee and subject-to technical changes (gen. plural).

    This disclaimer is frequently seen in catalogs or manuals, allowing the company to change specifications later.

  4. Vorbehaltlich einer Prüfung der Unterlagen können wir Ihnen den Kredit gewähren.

    Pending an examination of the documents, we can grant you the loan.

    Word by Word: Subject-to an examination (gen.) of-the documents can we to-you the loan grant.

    In this banking context, 'vorbehaltlich' indicates that the loan is not yet final; it depends on the document review.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the dative case for singular nouns with articles.

    vorbehaltlich dem Ergebnis
    vorbehaltlich des Ergebnisses

    In formal writing, 'vorbehaltlich' is a genitive preposition. Using the dative with a singular noun that has a clear article is a stylistic error.

  • Failing to use the dative for bare plural nouns.

    vorbehaltlich Beweise
    vorbehaltlich Beweisen

    When a plural noun follows 'vorbehaltlich' without an article or adjective, the dative is sometimes used to make the case marking visible, because the genitive plural would look just like the nominative. The safest choice is to add an article or adjective: 'vorbehaltlich der Beweise'.

  • Using 'vorbehaltlich' in casual, everyday conversation.

    Vorbehaltlich des Regens gehen wir spazieren.
    Wenn es nicht regnet, gehen wir spazieren.

    Using 'vorbehaltlich' to talk about the weather with friends sounds comically stiff. Use 'wenn' or 'je nach' for casual contexts.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

vorbehaltlichLevel 5Subject to (Vorbehaltlich)

Learn This First

To use 'vorbehaltlich' correctly, you must be comfortable with the genitive case, as this preposition always triggers it. This includes knowing the correct article forms (des/der) and the specific endings (-s or -es) applied to masculine and neuter nouns.

Words in This Pattern

vorbehaltlich