Preparing a German job application
Use Lebenslauf for the document that summarizes education, work experience, skills, and contact information. It is central to a Bewerbung.
Bitte schicken Sie uns Ihren Lebenslauf als PDF.
derB1DE-EN
noun
Lebenslauf
Translation
CV; resume; curriculum vitae
Lebenslauf is a CV or resume: the document that lists education, work experience, skills, and contact details for an application.
Teacher note
In German job contexts, Lebenslauf is more common than the borrowed CV. It usually belongs together with Anschreiben and Bewerbung.
Usage scenarios
Talking about someone's life path
Outside job applications, Lebenslauf can literally mean the course of a life. Context decides whether English should say CV or life story.
Der Film zeigt den Lebenslauf der Kuenstlerin.
Understanding German CV expectations
In German job contexts, Lebenslauf usually points to a factual, structured document. It is less like a personal essay and more like a clear record of education, work, skills, and dates.
Der Lebenslauf sollte klar gegliedert und aktuell sein.
Connecting documents inside a Bewerbung
Lebenslauf is one part of the application package. When instructions ask for Bewerbungsunterlagen, the Lebenslauf is usually expected together with an Anschreiben and certificates.
Zur Bewerbung gehoeren Anschreiben, Lebenslauf und Zeugnisse.
Choose the right translation
CV
Common in European and international English contexts.
resume
Common in American English. German still usually says Lebenslauf.
curriculum vitae
Formal full form, useful in official or academic contexts.
Usage guide
In job-search German, Lebenslauf almost always means CV or resume. It should not be translated literally unless the context is biographical rather than professional.
A German Lebenslauf is expected to be clear, structured, and factual. Learners should connect the word with Berufserfahrung, Ausbildung, Kenntnisse, and Kontaktdaten.
Use Lebenslauf with verbs such as schreiben, aktualisieren, beifuegen, hochladen, senden, and einreichen. These verbs make the word useful in real application tasks.
For American English readers, resume is often the natural translation. For British, academic, or international contexts, CV may be better. The German word itself does not force one English label.
German application instructions often say tabellarischer Lebenslauf. That usually means a concise structured CV with sections and dates, not a long autobiographical narrative.
Do not confuse Lebenslauf with Bewerbung. If a company says Bitte senden Sie Ihre Bewerbung, the Lebenslauf is normally one document inside that larger package.
How to study this entry
Open a blank document and make German section headings for a simple CV: Kontaktdaten, Berufserfahrung, Ausbildung, Kenntnisse. You do not need a full CV; the goal is to connect Lebenslauf with the document structure German employers expect.
Practice the verbs around the document. Write five short sentences with schreiben, aktualisieren, hochladen, beifuegen, and senden. Each verb should make Lebenslauf behave like a real object in an application workflow.
For meaning control, translate two contexts: a job ad asking for a Lebenslauf and a biography describing a person's Lebenslauf. The first should become CV or resume. The second may become life story or life path.
If you are preparing for real use, write one sentence that mentions both Bewerbung and Lebenslauf. Keep Lebenslauf as the document and Bewerbung as the larger process. That single sentence prevents a common category mistake.
Read German application instructions and underline file-format words near Lebenslauf: PDF, tabellarisch, aktuell, vollständig. These nearby adjectives tell you what employers expect from the document, not just what the noun means.
For translation review, decide whether resume or CV fits your target reader before you translate the whole sentence.
Write one application checklist in German: Anschreiben, Lebenslauf, Zeugnisse, Referenzen. Then label which item introduces you, which item lists facts, and which item proves qualifications.
Create two English outputs from the same German sentence. For a US reader, translate Lebenslauf as resume; for an international reader, translate it as CV. This trains audience-aware translation.
Word forms and word building
Lebenslauf is a compound: Leben means life, and Lauf means course or run. The compound can literally describe the course of a life.
Der Lebenslauf is masculine, and the plural is die Lebenslaeufe. The umlaut in the plural is easy to miss.
Tabellarischer Lebenslauf means a structured CV in table-like form. It is a common phrase in German application instructions.
Lebenslaufdaten are CV details or biographical data. The compound is formal, but it shows how German builds document vocabulary from Lebenslauf.
Lebenslauf plus beifuegen is a useful application phrase: Ich fuege meinen Lebenslauf bei means I am attaching my CV.
Meaning boundaries
Lebenslauf vs Bewerbung
Lebenslauf is one document. Bewerbung is the application process or package.
Lebenslauf vs Anschreiben
Anschreiben is the cover letter. Lebenslauf is the CV or resume.
CV vs resume
Both can translate Lebenslauf. Choose CV for international or British contexts and resume for American contexts.
Lebenslauf vs Profil
Profil can mean a professional profile or online profile. Lebenslauf is the structured CV document used in applications.
Lebenslauf vs Zeugnis
Zeugnis is a certificate, school report, or employment reference. It can support a Lebenslauf, but it is not the CV itself.
Literal meaning
Life course is possible in biography, but it is usually wrong in job-application English.
Memory guide
Connect Lebenslauf to Bewerbung as part to whole. If Bewerbung is the package, Lebenslauf is one of the key documents inside it.
Practice document verbs: den Lebenslauf schreiben, aktualisieren, hochladen, beifuegen, senden. These are more useful than isolated translation.
If the context mentions job, internship, or application documents, translate Lebenslauf as CV or resume without overthinking the literal parts.
Use a section test. If the text mentions Ausbildung, Berufserfahrung, Kenntnisse, or Kontaktdaten, you are almost certainly in the CV meaning.
Use a genre test for translation. Job ad, application portal, or PDF attachment points to CV/resume. Biography, film, or history points to life path.
Common questions
Does Lebenslauf mean CV or resume?
In job applications, Lebenslauf usually means CV or resume. Use resume for many American contexts and CV for British, academic, or international contexts.
What is a tabellarischer Lebenslauf?
A tabellarischer Lebenslauf is a structured CV with clear sections such as contact details, education, work experience, and skills. It is common in German application instructions.
How is Lebenslauf different from Bewerbung?
Lebenslauf is the CV or resume document. Bewerbung is the larger application process or package, which can include the Lebenslauf, cover letter, certificates, and other documents.
Can Lebenslauf mean life story?
Yes, outside job contexts it can mean life course, biography, or life story. In application contexts, CV or resume is usually the right translation.
What article does Lebenslauf take?
Lebenslauf is masculine: der Lebenslauf. The plural is die Lebenslaeufe, with an umlaut in the plural.
Patterns that sound natural
einen Lebenslauf schreiben
to write a CV
Ich schreibe heute meinen Lebenslauf.
I am writing my CV today.
den Lebenslauf aktualisieren
to update the CV
Bitte aktualisieren Sie Ihren Lebenslauf.
Please update your CV.
Lebenslauf und Anschreiben
CV and cover letter
Schicken Sie Lebenslauf und Anschreiben als PDF.
Send your CV and cover letter as a PDF.
Common learner trap
Translating Lebenslauf literally as life course in a job context.
For job applications, translate it as CV or resume.
Try it yourself
You attach your work history to a Bewerbung. Which German word names that document?
der Lebenslauf.
Examples
Mein Lebenslauf ist zwei Seiten lang.
My CV is two pages long.
Bitte senden Sie Ihren Lebenslauf bis Montag.
Please send your CV by Monday.
Der Lebenslauf sollte übersichtlich sein.
The CV should be easy to scan.