German Phrase
Am Ende haben wir uns den neuen Vertrag gesichert.
Meaning
The sentence states that, after all steps have been completed, we managed to secure the new contract for ourselves. It conveys a sense of successful conclusion and a bit of relief.
When to use
Use this phrase at the end of a business meeting, in a project debrief, or when reporting the outcome of negotiations. It is suitable for both spoken and written German in a professional context.
✦Grammar Breakdown
AmEndehabenwirunsdenneuenVertraggesichert
Am = an dem
The preposition "an" combined with the dative article "dem" contracts to "am" and introduces a temporal phrase.
Verb‑second (V2) word order
In main clauses the finite verb (haben) occupies the second position; the past participle (gesichert) goes to the end.
Reflexive pronoun "uns"
Here "uns" is a reflexive pronoun in the accusative, used with the verb "sichern" to stress that the speakers secured something for themselves.
Accusative article "den"
The direct object "den neuen Vertrag" is masculine singular, therefore it takes the accusative article "den".
Adjective declension (weak)
After the definite article in the accusative, the adjective "neuen" receives the weak ending "-en".
🗨In Conversation
Wie lief das Projekt?
How did the project go?
Am Ende haben wir uns den neuen Vertrag gesichert.
In the end we secured the new contract.
✕Common Mistakes
Am Ende haben wir uns den neuen Vertrag gesichert.
The reflexive pronoun is optional; many native speakers would drop it. Including it is not wrong, but can sound redundant.
Am Ende haben wir uns dem neuen Vertrag gesichert.
If you mistakenly use the dative "dem neuen Vertrag", the sentence becomes ungrammatical because "Vertrag" is a direct object.
Am Ende haben wir uns den neuen Vertrag gesichert.
For contracts, "abgeschlossen" or "erhalten" is more idiomatic; "gesichert" may be interpreted as "made safe" rather than "concluded".
↔Alternatives
Schließlich haben wir den neuen Vertrag erhalten.
Finally we received the new contract.
Letztendlich haben wir den neuen Vertrag abgeschlossen.
Ultimately we concluded the new contract.
Am Schluss haben wir den neuen Vertrag gesichert.
At the end we secured the new contract.
Cultural Tip
In German business communication, "einen Vertrag sichern" sounds a bit informal; native speakers often prefer "einen Vertrag abschließen" or "einen Vertrag erhalten". Using "gesichert" emphasizes the effort taken to guarantee the deal, which can be useful when highlighting teamwork.