Umfassen vs einschließlich

I understand you can use these two words when you talk about what something contains. Are they interchangeable or should one of them be used in a specific situation?
 

Hallo RexV, 

Umfassen and einschließen both can't be translated with "to contain". They are actually quite different in meaning. 

Umfassen means "to encompass", whereas einschließen can be translated with "to include"/"to inclose". 

Beste Grüße, 
Leah

 

Thanks a lot for your  answer Leah!

1.
Can you give an example for how you would use "Umfassen"?

2. 
So you would use "einschließen" when writing what something contains? For example:
A. This box includes clothes / Diese Kiste einschließen Kleider
B. This house includes furnitures / Dieses Haus einschließen Möbel

3. 
What word would you use for "relates? for example:
C. This cost relates to rent / Dieses Kost [?] zu Mieten

 

Hi RexV, 

1. An example for umfassen would be: Das Set umfasst 12 CDs. - The set encompasses 12 CDs.

2. A more common word for "contain" is beinhalten. In your examples, you couldn't say einschließen. You would rather say:

Diese Kiste beinhaltet Kleider. and Dieses Haus beinhaltet Möbel

An example for einschließen would be:
Die Mauer schließt den Garten ein. - The wall incloses the garden. 
Sie schließen Lisa in ihre Gruppe ein. - They include Lisa into their group.

3. "This cost relates to rent" would be translated as "Diese Kosten beziehen sich auf die Miete."
"To relate" means "sich auf etw. beziehen" (reflexive verb) in German.

I hope this helps, 
Leah

Thanks for reply!!!

1. 
I understand that the word "Enthalten" means "to contain".
When would you use this word instead of "Beinhalten" and can you give an example?

2. 
I understand that the word "Inbegriffen" means "to included"
When would you use this word instead of "Einschließen" and can you give an example?
 

Hi RexV, 

1. You can use enthalten and beinhalten interchangeably. But enthalten also has another meaning besides "to contain", which is "to abstain". An example for that would be: Bei der Wahl enthalte ich mich. - "I abstain in the election."

2. You can't really compare those two words because inbegriffen is a an adjective and einschließen is a verb. You can compare inbegriffen and eingeschlossen (the adjective derived from einschließen). 

Eingeschlossen is used if something is physically "locked-in": Ich bin im Keller eingeschlossen. - "I'm locked in the basement." Inbegriffen can't be used in this "physical" sense.

Both eingeschlossen and inbegriffen can be used to express if something is virtually enclosed or included, like Die Kosten sind im Preis eingeschlossen. or Die Kosten sind im Preis inbegriffen.
- "The costs are included in the price."

I hope this clears things up. 

Bis bald, 
Leah