German Phrase
Wer kümmert sich ums Catering?
Meaning
The sentence asks who is responsible for organizing and providing the food and drinks at an event or meeting. It implies that the catering task is already planned and someone needs to be identified or assigned.
When to use
Use this question when you are coordinating an event, a conference, a wedding, or a corporate meeting and need to clarify who will handle the catering logistics. It works in both formal business meetings and informal gatherings.
✦Grammar Breakdown
WerkümmertsichumsCatering
Wer (interrogative pronoun)
Used to ask about a person; it functions like ‘who’ in English and does not change with case.
kümmert sich (reflexive verb)
‘kümmert’ is the 3rd‑person singular present of ‘kümmern’; it requires the reflexive pronoun ‘sich’ and means ‘takes care of’.
ums (contraction of um das)
In spoken and informal written German, ‘um das’ often contracts to ‘ums’, especially before neuter nouns like ‘Catering’.
Catering (loanword)
A borrowed English noun used in German business contexts; it stays unchanged and is neuter (das Catering).
🗨In Conversation
Wer kümmert sich ums Catering?
Who is taking care of the catering?
Das übernimmt unser Office‑Management‑Team.
Our office‑management team will handle it.
✕Common Mistakes
Wer kümmert sich um das Catering?
In spoken German the contraction ‘ums’ is preferred; using the full form sounds overly formal in casual conversation.
Wer kümmert ums Catering?
The verb must be reflexive here; omitting ‘sich’ changes the meaning.
Wer kümmert sich ums Verpflegung?
If you use a German synonym, adjust gender and article accordingly (das Catering → die Verpflegung).
↔Alternatives
Wer ist für das Catering verantwortlich?
Who is responsible for the catering?
Wer organisiert das Catering?
Who organizes the catering?
Wer kümmert sich um das Catering?
Who looks after the catering?
Cultural Tip
In German business culture, it’s common to assign clear responsibilities early on. When you ask ‘Wer kümmert sich ums Catering?’, you’re showing that you expect a concrete person or department to own the task. The loanword ‘Catering’ is widely accepted, but in very formal writing you might prefer ‘Verpflegung’ or ‘Bewirtung’. Also, using the contraction ‘ums’ signals a conversational tone; in a formal email you would write ‘um das Catering’.