das  Girokonto

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈɡiːʁoˌkɔnto/

🏦 What exactly is a Girokonto?

A Girokonto (article: das) is a fundamental type of bank account in German-speaking countries, primarily used for daily payment transactions. It's essentially what English speakers would call a checking account or current account. It serves to receive money (e.g., Gehalt - salary) and send money (e.g., Überweisungen - transfers, Daueraufträge - standing orders, Lastschriften - direct debits). You can withdraw cash and make cashless payments using an associated card (EC-Karte/Girocard).

It's the central account for most everyday financial activities. The term 'Giro' comes from Italian, meaning 'circle' or 'circulation', aptly describing the account's function as a hub for money movements.

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar Deep Dive: Das Girokonto

The word "Girokonto" is neuter (sächlich). Here are the declension tables:

Singular

Plural

💡 Example Sentences

1. Ich muss dringend Geld von meinem Girokonto abheben.
   (I urgently need to withdraw money from my checking account.)
2. Die Miete wird monatlich von dem Girokonto abgebucht.
   (The rent is debited monthly from the checking account.)
3. Der Saldo des Girokontos ist aktuell positiv.
   (The balance of the checking account is currently positive.)
4. Viele Banken bieten kostenlose Girokonten für Studenten an.
   (Many banks offer free checking accounts for students.)
5. Er eröffnete sein erstes Girokonto bei der örtlichen Sparkasse.
   (He opened his first checking account at the local savings bank.)

💸 Using Your Girokonto Correctly

The Girokonto is the standard account for everyday financial transactions:

• Salary Deposits (Gehaltseingang): Employers usually transfer salaries to a Girokonto.
• Payments (Zahlungsverkehr): Making transfers (Überweisungen), setting up standing orders (Daueraufträge, e.g., for rent), authorising direct debits (Lastschriften, e.g., for electricity).
• Cash (Bargeld): Withdrawing money from ATMs.
• Cashless Payments (Bargeldloses Bezahlen): Paying with the Girocard (debit card) or credit card often linked to the account.
• Online Banking: Checking balances, making transfers online.

Unlike a Sparbuch (savings passbook) or Tagesgeldkonto (instant access savings account), which are primarily for saving and often offer higher interest rates, the Girokonto focuses on the availability and processing of payments. It often involves account management fees (Kontoführungsgebühren) unless certain conditions are met (e.g., minimum monthly income).

🧠 Memory Aids (Mnemonics)

Article Aid: Think of "das Konto" (the account). Most compound words ending in "-konto" are neuter in German, like das Bankkonto, das Sparkonto. So, it's also: das Girokonto. It's like saying *"Das thing, the account!"*

Meaning Aid: Imagine your money 'going 'round' (like a Gyroscope or the Giro d'Italia bike race - Giro = circle/circulation) in the account. Money comes in (salary) and goes out (payments) – a constant circulation within *das Konto*.

🔄 Similar and Contrasting Terms

😄 A Little Joke

Warum hat das Girokonto nie gute Laune?

(Why is the checking account never in a good mood?)

Weil ständig jemand Geld von ihm abhebt!

(Because someone is always withdrawing money from it!) 😄

📜 A Poem About the Account

Das Konto, genannt Giro,
(The account, called Giro,)
Macht manchen Banker froh.
(Makes many a banker happy.)
Das Geld, es fließt im Kreise,
(The money, it flows in a circle,)
Auf leise, schnelle Weise.
(In a quiet, fast way.)
Rein kommt der Lohn, das ist nett,
(In comes the salary, that's nice,)
Raus geht die Miete fürs Bett.
(Out goes the rent for the bed.)
So bleibt es stets in Schwung,
(So it always stays in motion,)
Das Girokonto – jung!
(The Girokonto – young!)

❓ A Little Riddle

Ich habe keinen Mund, doch schlucke Geld,
(I have no mouth, yet swallow money,)
Ich habe keine Hand, doch zahl' in aller Welt.
(I have no hand, yet pay all over the world.)
Dein Lohn kommt auf mich drauf,
(Your salary lands on me,)
Von mir geht Miete, Strom im Lauf.
(From me go rent, electricity in due course.)
Was bin ich, sag es schnell und frei,
(What am I, say it quick and free,)
Für deine tägliche Zahlerei?
(For your daily payment spree?)

Solution: Das Girokonto (The checking account)

🧩 Word Origin and More

Word Composition: "Girokonto" is a compound noun, composed of:

• Giro: From Italian giro, meaning 'circle', 'turn', 'circulation'. It refers to cashless payment transactions where money 'circulates' between accounts.
• Konto: From Italian conto ('bill', 'account'), via Latin computus ('calculation').

Trivia: Giro banking (transferring funds between accounts without cash) was developed in Italy as early as the Renaissance to facilitate trade.