kündigen
Translation
to quit, to terminate, to cancel, to fire
Examples
Ich habe meinen Job gekündigt.
I have quit my job.
Er hat den Vertrag gekündigt.
He has terminated the contract.
Die Firma hat ihm gekündigt.
The company has fired him.
Grammar Patterns
((sth.)) to terminate sth. He terminated the contract.
((sb.dat)) to fire sb. The company fired him.
((bei+3)) to resign from sth. I resigned from my company.
Similar Words
Synonyms: entlassen (to dismiss), aufgeben (to give up), beenden (to end)
Etymology
From Old High German 'kund' (known, to make known). It evolved to mean giving notice of termination.
Memory Tips
Think of giving 'Kunde' (news, notice) that you are ending something, like a job or a contract.