der
Einkaufswagen
🛒 What exactly is an Einkaufswagen?
An Einkaufswagen (der, masculine) is a cart, usually made of metal or plastic, on wheels, provided to customers in supermarkets, discount stores, or other shops to transport selected goods while shopping. It's the German word for a shopping cart or trolley.
It typically has a basket for collecting items and a handle for pushing. Often, there is also a lower rack for larger items and sometimes a child seat.
🚨 There's only this one article (der) for this word and its main meaning.
Article rules for der, die, and das
-en → mostly masculine.
1. All diminutives with '-chen' are neutral, like 'das Mädchen'. 2. Nouns derived from verbs are always neutral ('das Schrieben'). 3. There are many -en words, we won't list them all.
🧐 Grammar: Declining 'der Einkaufswagen'
The noun 'Einkaufswagen' is masculine. Here is its declension:
Singular Declension
| Case | Definite Article | Indefinite Article |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Subject) | der Einkaufswagen | ein Einkaufswagen |
| Genitive (Possessive) | des Einkaufswagens | eines Einkaufswagens |
| Dative (Indirect Object) | dem Einkaufswagen | einem Einkaufswagen |
| Accusative (Direct Object) | den Einkaufswagen | einen Einkaufswagen |
Plural Declension
| Case | Definite Article | Indefinite Article |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die Einkaufswagen | - Einkaufswagen |
| Genitive | der Einkaufswagen | - Einkaufswagen |
| Dative | den Einkaufswagen | - Einkaufswagen |
| Accusative | die Einkaufswagen | - Einkaufswagen |
Example Sentences
- Nominativ: Der Einkaufswagen steht am Eingang bereit. (The shopping cart is ready at the entrance.)
- Genitiv: Das Rad des Einkaufswagens ist kaputt. (The wheel of the shopping cart is broken.)
- Dativ: Ich lege die Milch dem Einkaufswagen hinzu. (I add the milk to the shopping cart. - More common: Ich lege die Milch in den Einkaufswagen.)
- Akkusativ: Nimmst du bitte einen Einkaufswagen? (Will you please take a shopping cart?)
- Plural: Am Samstagmorgen sind oft alle Einkaufswagen in Gebrauch. (On Saturday mornings, often all shopping carts are in use.)
💡 How to use 'Einkaufswagen'?
The term Einkaufswagen is used almost exclusively in the context of shopping in self-service stores.
- Typical Situation: You take an Einkaufswagen at the entrance of the supermarket (often requiring a deposit like a 1 Euro coin or a token) and push it through the aisles to load products.
- Difference from 'Einkaufskorb': An Einkaufskorb (shopping basket) is smaller, has no wheels, and is carried. It's suitable for smaller purchases.
- Colloquialisms: Sometimes it's informally called 'Karre' (cart/barrow) or 'Wagerl' (regional, e.g., in Bavaria/Austria), but Einkaufswagen is the standard term.
- Compound Words: You also find it in terms like 'Einkaufswagenchip' (token for the shopping cart) or 'Einkaufswagenschlange' (queue of shopping carts).
🧠 Mnemonics to Remember
Article Mnemonic: Think of 'der Wagen' (the car/wagon). A car is masculine in German (der Wagen), and an Einkaufswagen is also a type of 'Wagen' for transport. Both are masculine.
Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine using the Wagen (cart) to do your Einkauf (shopping). Combine them: Einkauf + Wagen = Einkaufswagen.
🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms (Similar Meaning):
- Einkaufskarren (very similar, perhaps perceived as slightly bulkier)
- Wagerl / Wagerle (regional, Southern German/Austrian, often diminutive)
- Shopping Cart (Anglicism, relatively rare in German usage)
Antonyms (Opposites):
- Einkaufskorb (shopping basket - smaller, carried, for fewer items)
- There isn't a direct antonym in the sense of an object. Metaphorically, you might think of 'leere Hände' (empty hands).
Similar but Different Words:
- Handwagen/Bollerwagen: A wagon to pull, often for children or outdoor transport.
- Gepäckwagen: Luggage cart at a train station or airport.
😄 A Little Joke
Warum nehmen Skelette keinen Einkaufswagen?
Weil sie keinen Körper haben, um ihn zu schieben! 😉
(Why don't skeletons take a shopping cart?)
(Because they have no body to push it!)
📜 Poem about the Einkaufswagen
Der Wagen rollt durch Gang und Zeit,
(The cart rolls through aisle and time,)
Beladen schwer, für dich bereit.
(Heavily loaded, ready for you.)
Von Obst bis Brot, von Saft bis Wein,
(From fruit to bread, from juice to wine,)
Passt alles in den Wagen rein.
(Everything fits inside the cart.)
Er quietscht vielleicht, ein Rad dreht quer,
(Maybe it squeaks, a wheel turns sideways,)
Doch ohne ihn, wär's Kaufen schwer.
(But without it, shopping would be hard.)
Am Ende dann, zur Kass' geschoben,
(At the end, pushed to the checkout,)
Wird er geleert, und neu erhoben.
(It's emptied, and picked up anew.)
❓ Riddle Time
Ich habe vier Räder, doch fahre nicht weit,
(I have four wheels, but don't drive far,)
Trage dein Essen und Trinken allzeit.
(Carry your food and drinks always.)
Im Supermarkt bin ich dein treuer Begleiter,
(In the supermarket, I'm your loyal companion,)
Mal bin ich voll, mal bin ich leichter.
(Sometimes I'm full, sometimes I'm lighter.)
Mit 'der' steh ich vorn, ganz maskulin.
(With 'der' I stand first, quite masculine.)
Was bin ich? (What am I?)
Solution: Der Einkaufswagen
🧩 Other Info about the Einkaufswagen
- Word Composition: The word 'Einkaufswagen' is a compound noun, formed from 'der Einkauf' (the purchase/shopping) and 'der Wagen' (the cart/car/wagon).
- Pfandsystem (Deposit System): Many Einkaufswagen operate on a deposit system (e.g., a 1 Euro coin or a token) to ensure they are returned and not stolen.
- Invention: The modern shopping cart was invented in the USA in the 1930s by Sylvan Goldman to encourage customers to buy more.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Einkaufswagen?
The word 'Einkaufswagen' is always masculine. The correct article is der Einkaufswagen (singular) and die Einkaufswagen (plural).