das
Shopping
🛍️ What does "das Shopping" mean?
Das Shopping refers to the act of shopping, often as a leisure activity or for acquiring consumer goods like clothing, electronics, or groceries. It's a word borrowed from English (an Anglicism) and used as a noun in German.
It exclusively takes the article "das" (neuter) and is mostly used in the singular form, as it describes the activity itself.
- Meaning: The act of shopping, often as a leisure activity (Einkaufsbummel).
🚨 Attention: The word is often used informally. In more formal contexts, Germans might prefer "der Einkauf" (the purchase/shopping trip) or "das Einkaufen" (the act of shopping).
Article rules for der, die, and das
Many foreign words → mostly neutral.
There are many foreign words, we won't list them all.
🧐 Grammar of "das Shopping" in Detail
Das Shopping is a noun of neuter gender (Neutrum). It is generally only used in the singular, as it describes an activity. A plural form is uncommon.
Declension (Singular)
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Subject) | das | Shopping |
| Genitive (Possessive) | des | Shoppings |
| Dative (Indirect Object) | dem | Shopping |
| Accusative (Direct Object) | das | Shopping |
💡 Example Sentences
- Am Wochenende ist das Shopping in der Innenstadt sehr beliebt. (Shopping in the city center is very popular on weekends.)
- Nach dem Shopping waren wir müde, aber glücklich. (After shopping, we were tired but happy.)
- Ich widme den Samstag ganz dem Shopping. (I dedicate Saturday entirely to shopping.)
- Sie liebt das Shopping über alles. (She loves shopping more than anything.)
🗣️ How to use "das Shopping"?
"Das Shopping" is primarily used in colloquial German to describe shopping as an activity, especially when referring to a leisurely stroll through stores (Einkaufsbummel).
- Context: Leisure, consumption, fashion, everyday life.
- Common Collocations:
- Shopping machen (colloquial for 'to go shopping')
- auf Shoppingtour gehen/sein ('to go/be on a shopping trip')
- exzessives Shopping ('excessive shopping')
- Online-Shopping
- Distinction: While "das Shopping" often emphasizes the stroll or the experience, "der Einkauf" is often more factual and refers to the specific purchase of goods (e.g., der Wocheneinkauf - the weekly grocery shopping). "Das Einkaufen" is the nominalized form of the verb and also more neutral than "das Shopping".
🧠 Mnemonics for "das Shopping"
For the article "das": Think of das pleasure (das Vergnügen is neuter). Shopping is often a pleasure. Or think of das money (das Geld is neuter) spent during shopping. Since shopping is an activity or concept imported from English, like many abstract concepts or loanwords ending in -ing, it often takes 'das'.
For the meaning: The word sounds exactly like the English "shopping" - and that's precisely what it means: going shopping, often for fun. Imagine someone happily bouncing 'ping-pong' through the shops with lots of shopping bags – Shop-ping!
↔️ Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms (similar meaning):
- Das Einkaufen: Neutral term for the act of shopping.
- Der Einkauf: Often refers to the result (the purchased goods) or a specific shopping event (e.g., der Wocheneinkauf - weekly grocery shop).
- Der Einkaufsbummel: Emphasizes a leisurely stroll through shops.
- Die Einkaufstour: Similar to Einkaufsbummel, often a longer tour involving multiple stores.
Antonyms (opposites - in a broader sense):
- Das Verkaufen: The opposite action from the seller's perspective (selling).
- Das Sparen: Consciously avoiding spending (saving).
- Die Produktion / Herstellung: Creating goods, not consuming them (production/manufacturing).
⚠️ Similar Words:
- Der Shopper: A person who shops; or a large shopping bag.
- Shoppen (verb): The verb related to "Shopping" (e.g., "Ich gehe shoppen" - I'm going shopping).
😂 A Little Joke
Warum nehmen Skelette nie am Shopping teil?
Weil sie keinen Körper haben, für den sie einkaufen könnten!
(Why do skeletons never go shopping? Because they have no body to shop for!)
📜 Poem about Shopping
Mit Tüten schwer, (With bags so heavy,)
Das Portemonnaie leer. (The wallet empty.)
Von Laden zu Laden, (From store to store,)
Neue Schätze geladen. (New treasures loaded.)
Das Shopping, mal Freud, mal Last, (Shopping, sometimes joy, sometimes burden,)
Am Ende doch oft etwas passt. (In the end, something often fits.)
Ein Bummel durch die bunte Welt, (A stroll through the colorful world,)
Für das, was uns gefällt. (For that which pleases us.)
🧩 Little Riddle
Ich koste Geld, mal mehr, mal minder, (I cost money, sometimes more, sometimes less,)
Bring Freude oft für Eltern, Kinder. (Often bring joy to parents, children.)
Man tut mich online oder in der Stadt, (People do me online or in the city,)
Am Ende man oft neue Dinge hat. (In the end, one often has new things.)
Ich bin englisch, doch im Deutschen gern, (I am English, but liked in German,)
Ob nah, ob fern. (Whether near or far.)
Was bin ich? (What am I?)
(Lösung/Solution: das Shopping)
💡 Other Information
Word Origin: "Shopping" is a direct import from English (a nominalized form of the verb "to shop"). Such words are called Anglizismen (Anglicisms).
Prevalence: The word is particularly common among the younger generation and in urban contexts. It often carries a connotation of leisure and pleasure that goes beyond simply buying necessities.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Shopping?
The word "Shopping" is an Anglicism and always neuter in German: das Shopping. It refers to the act of shopping, often as a leisure activity, and is primarily used in the singular.