das
Casino
🎲 What does "das Casino" mean?
The German word das Casino primarily has two meanings:
- Gambling house/Casino: A public building or establishment where games of chance (like roulette, poker, blackjack) are played for money. This is the most common meaning.
- Canteen/Mess hall (especially for officers or employees): A dining and common room, often in barracks for soldiers (Offizierskasino) or in larger companies for employees. This meaning is more specific and slightly less common in everyday language.
⚠️ Pay attention to the context to understand the correct meaning!
Article rules for der, die, and das
Many foreign words → mostly neutral.
There are many foreign words, we won't list them all.
-o → mostly neutral.
📜 Grammar of "das Casino" in Detail
The noun "Casino" is neuter (sächlich) and uses the article das. It originates from Italian.
Declension Singular
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Who/What?) | das | Casino |
| Genitive (Whose?) | des | Casinos |
| Dative (To whom?) | dem | Casino |
| Accusative (Whom/What?) | das | Casino |
Declension Plural
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Casinos |
| Genitive | der | Casinos |
| Dative | den | Casinos |
| Accusative | die | Casinos |
💡 Grammar Examples
- Nominative: Das Casino öffnet erst am Abend. (The casino doesn't open until the evening.)
- Genitive: Der Eingang des Casinos war prunkvoll geschmückt. (The entrance of the casino was lavishly decorated.)
- Dativ: Wir trafen uns vor dem Casino. (We met in front of the casino.)
- Accusative: Sie besuchte das Casino in Monte Carlo. (She visited the casino in Monte Carlo.)
- Plural: Viele Städte haben heutzutage moderne Casinos. (Many cities have modern casinos nowadays.)
- Meaning 'canteen': Die Offiziere essen im Casino. (The officers eat in the mess hall/casino.)
💼 When and how to use "das Casino"?
The use of das Casino heavily depends on the context:
- In the context of gambling & entertainment: Here, "das Casino" clearly refers to a gambling house. It's often associated with terms like Roulette, Poker, Spielautomaten (slot machines), Gewinn (win), Verlust (loss), Las Vegas, Monte Carlo.
- Example: "Er hat sein ganzes Geld im Casino verspielt." (He gambled away all his money in the casino.)
- In a military or corporate context: Here, "das Casino" means a dining or social room, often with a degree of exclusivity (e.g., only for officers or executives).
- Example: "Das Mittagessen wird heute im Casino serviert." (Lunch is served in the casino/canteen today.)
Although both meanings exist, the association with the gambling house is significantly more dominant in general usage.
🧠 How to remember "das Casino"
Article Mnemonic (das)
Imagine: You hope to find DAS great fortune 🍀 (neuter noun: das Glück) in the casino. Or think of DAS Haus (house, from Italian 'casa') -> DAS little house -> DAS Casino. Most loanwords ending in -o are neuter, so das Auto, das Büro, das Casino.
Meaning Mnemonic
Picture an officer having lunch in the Casino (canteen), then trying his luck at the Casino (gambling house). Two places, one word!
🔄 Related and Opposite Words
Synonyms (Similar meaning)
- For gambling house: die Spielbank, die Spielhalle, das Spielkasino
- For canteen/mess hall: die Kantine, der Speisesaal, die Mensa (more for students), das Offiziersheim/Offizierskasino (specifically military)
Antonyms (Opposites)
Direct antonyms are difficult. Depending on context, you could consider:
- For gambling house: die Arbeit (work), die Sparsamkeit (thriftiness), das Zuhause (home, as a place without gambling)
- For canteen: das Restaurant (public restaurant), das eigene Büro (one's own office for eating)
🚨 Caution: Confusion!
😂 A Little Joke
German: Warum nehmen Mathematiker nie am Pokertisch im Casino Platz?
Weil sie zu gut darin sind, ihre Bluffs zu berechnen!
English: Why do mathematicians never sit at the poker table in the casino?
Because they are too good at calculating their bluffs! (Pun on 'berechnen' meaning calculate/figure out)
✍️ Little Poem about the Casino
German:
Im Casino, hell und laut,
wird auf Fortuna schnell vertraut.
Roulette dreht, die Kugel rollt,
manch einer setzt, was er nur sollt'.
Ob Glück, ob Pech, das zeigt die Zeit,
im Glanz des Spiels, nicht weit.
Mal ist's die Bank, mal Offiziersruh',
das Casino schlägt immer wieder zu.
English Translation:
In the casino, bright and loud,
trust in Fortune is quickly vowed.
Roulette spins, the ball does roll,
some bet more than might be droll.
If luck or loss, time will tell,
in the game's bright, shiny spell.
Sometimes the bank, sometimes officers' rest,
the casino strikes again, put to the test.
❓ Riddle Time
German:
Ich habe Tische, doch kein Bein zum Stehen.
Man kann bei mir gewinnen und verlieren sehen.
Manchmal speisen Offiziere hier galant.
Wie werd' ich mit sächlichem Artikel genannt?
English:
I have tables, but no leg to stand.
You can see winning and losing close at hand.
Sometimes officers dine here with grace.
What am I called, with a neuter article in place?
Solution: das Casino
✨ More about "das Casino"
- Word Origin: The word "Casino" comes from the Italian word "casa" (house), where "casino" originally meant "small house" or "country house". Later, meanings like "social club" or "gaming house" developed.
- Spelling: Besides "Casino", the spelling "Kasino" is also common and correct according to the Duden dictionary.
- Famous Casinos: Well-known examples include the casinos in Las Vegas, Monte Carlo, or Baden-Baden (Germany).
Summary: is it der, die or das Casino?
The correct article for Casino is das: das Casino (meaning either a gambling house or an officers'/employees' canteen). The plural is die Casinos.