das
Kellergeschoss
🧱 What Exactly is a Kellergeschoss?
The German noun das Kellergeschoss (abbreviation: KG) refers to the floor or storey of a building that is located entirely or mostly below ground level. It's essentially the part of the house beneath the Erdgeschoss (ground floor), commonly known in English as the basement or cellar level.
Unlike a simple Keller (cellar), which might just be used for storage, a Kellergeschoss can be a fully functional floor. It might contain living spaces (like a Souterrainwohnung - basement apartment) or utility rooms such as a laundry room (Waschküche), boiler room (Heizungsraum), or hobby room (Hobbyraum).
The article is always das because the base word Geschoss (floor, storey) is neuter.
📜 Grammar Insights: das Kellergeschoss
The word Kellergeschoss is a neuter noun. It always takes the definite article das.
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | das | Kellergeschoss |
| Genitive | des | Kellergeschosses |
| Dative | dem | Kellergeschoss |
| Accusative | das | Kellergeschoss |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Kellergeschosse |
| Genitive | der | Kellergeschosse |
| Dative | den | Kellergeschossen |
| Accusative | die | Kellergeschosse |
Example Sentences
- Die Waschmaschine steht im Kellergeschoss. (The washing machine is in the basement.)
- Wir lagern alte Möbel im Kellergeschoss. (We store old furniture in the basement.)
- Die Fenster des Kellergeschosses sind klein. (The windows of the basement floor are small.)
- Er hat sein Büro in einem der Kellergeschosse eingerichtet. (He set up his office in one of the basement floors.)
🗣️ Everyday Usage
The term Kellergeschoss is primarily used in contexts related to buildings, architecture, real estate, and housing.
- Real Estate Listings: "Helle 3-Zimmer-Wohnung mit ausgebautem Hobbyraum im Kellergeschoss." ("Bright 3-room apartment with a finished hobby room in the basement.")
- Building Plans: Architects and builders discuss the planning and use of the Kellergeschoss.
- Daily Conversation: When describing where something is located in a house ("Die Heizung ist im Kellergeschoss." - "The heating system is in the basement.").
Difference from "Keller": While Keller often refers just to a simple, unheated storage space underground, Kellergeschoss implies a complete storey below the ground floor, which might be heated and used for various purposes beyond simple storage.
🧠 Mnemonics and Memory Aids
Remembering the Article: The core word is das Geschoss (the floor/storey). Just like a house has das Erdgeschoss (ground floor) and das Obergeschoss (upper floor), it also has das Kellergeschoss. Think of all the 'storeys' as neuter 'things'.
Remembering the Meaning: Imagine going down into the Keller (cellar), but finding it's not just a room, it's a whole Geschoss (floor/storey) underground – that's the Kellergeschoss.
🔄 Similar and Opposite Terms
Synonyms (Similar Meaning)
- Untergeschoss (UG): Very commonly used synonymously, also means a floor below the ground floor.
- Souterrain: Specifically refers to a basement level that is partly above ground, often used for living purposes (a basement apartment). Borrowed from French.
- Keller: Can be synonymous, but is often more general and might refer only to a part of the Kellergeschoss or a simple storage cellar.
Antonyms (Opposites)
- Erdgeschoss (EG): Ground floor.
- Obergeschoss (OG): Upper floor (any floor above the ground floor).
- Dachgeschoss (DG): Attic floor, top floor directly under the roof.
😄 A Little Joke
Warum gehen Skelette nie ins Kellergeschoss?
Weil sie keinen Mumm dazu haben! 😉
(Why do skeletons never go into the basement? Because they don't have the guts (Mumm = guts/courage)!)
📜 A Little Poem
Tief im Haus, versteckt und kühl,
liegt das Kellergeschoss mit viel Gefühl.
Mal Lagerraum für dies und das,
mal Hobbykeller, voller Spaß.
Unter der Erde, Stockwerk eins,
ist unser Kellergeschoss – ganz meins!
(Deep in the house, hidden and cool,
lies the basement floor, with lots of feel.
Sometimes storage for this and that,
sometimes a hobby room, full of fun chat.
Beneath the earth, floor number one,
is our basement floor – my very own!)
❓ Riddle Time
Ich bin ein Stockwerk, doch lieg' ich tief,
wo's manchmal modrig riecht und schlief
manch altes Ding schon Jahr um Jahr.
Ich bin im Haus das unterste, na klar!
Was bin ich?
(I am a floor, but I lie deep,
Where sometimes musty smells do creep,
And many old things have slept year by year.
I'm the lowest in the house, it's clear!
What am I?)
Solution: Das Kellergeschoss (The basement floor)
🧩 Word Building Blocks
The word Kellergeschoss is a compound noun, formed from:
Together (Keller + Geschoss), they describe an entire floor located underground.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Kellergeschoss?
The noun "Kellergeschoss" is always neuter. The correct article is unambiguously das Kellergeschoss. There are no other articles used with this word.