der
Eintritt
🚪 What does "der Eintritt" mean?
The word der Eintritt has several meanings in German:
- Entrance / Admission / Access: The act of entering or the permission to enter a place. Example: Der Eintritt in das Gebäude ist nur mit Ausweis gestattet. (Access to the building is only permitted with ID.)
- Admission fee / Entrance fee: The price one has to pay to enter a place (e.g., museum, concert, swimming pool). Example: Der Eintritt kostet 10 Euro. (The admission fee is 10 Euros.) Often used in plural (die Eintritte) for multiple fees or price increases: Die Eintritte wurden erhöht. (The admission fees were increased.)
- Beginning / Onset / Start: The point in time when something begins or occurs. Example: Mit Eintritt des Winters werden die Tage kürzer. (With the onset of winter, the days get shorter.)
- Entry / Joining: Becoming a member of an organisation, a club, or starting a job. Example: Sein Eintritt in die Partei erfolgte letztes Jahr. (His entry into the party took place last year.) / Nach seinem Eintritt in die Firma übernahm er schnell Verantwortung. (After joining the company, he quickly took on responsibility.)
🚨 Important: Although there are multiple meanings, the article is always der.
🧐 Grammar in Detail: Der Eintritt
"Eintritt" is a masculine noun. The article is always der.
Declension
Singular
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der | Eintritt |
| Genitive | des | Eintritt(e)s |
| Dative | dem | Eintritt |
| Accusative | den | Eintritt |
Plural
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Eintritte |
| Genitive | der | Eintritte |
| Dative | den | Eintritten |
| Accusative | die | Eintritte |
📝 Example Sentences
- (Access) Der Eintritt zum Konzertsaal befindet sich auf der linken Seite. (The entrance to the concert hall is on the left side.)
- (Fee) Wie hoch ist der Eintritt für das Schwimmbad? (How much is the admission fee for the swimming pool?)
- (Onset) Bei Eintritt der Dunkelheit schalten sich die Straßenlaternen ein. (At the onset of darkness, the streetlights turn on.)
- (Joining/Retirement) Wir feiern heute Abend seinen Eintritt in den Ruhestand. (Tonight we celebrate his entry into retirement.)
- (Fee, Plural) Die Eintritte für Sonderausstellungen sind oft höher. (The admission fees for special exhibitions are often higher.)
💡 How to use "der Eintritt"?
"Der Eintritt" is frequently used in contexts related to places, events, points in time, or organisations.
- Events & Places: You talk about "der Eintritt" to the cinema (Kino), museum (Museum), theatre (Theater), swimming pool (Schwimmbad), a club (Club), or a concert (Konzert). Here, it can mean both the access itself and the fee. You often hear "Eintritt frei" (free admission) or ask for the "Eintrittspreis" (admission price). An "Eintrittskarte" is the ticket.
- Temporal Events: People speak of the "Eintritt" of spring (Frühling), winter (Winter), night (Nacht), dusk (Dämmerung), but also the "Eintritt" of a specific event or state (e.g., "mit Eintritt der Volljährigkeit" - upon reaching the age of majority).
- Organisations & Career: The "Eintritt" into a club (Verein), a party (Partei), a company (Firma), or retirement (Ruhestand) describes the act of starting the membership or the new phase of life.
Distinctions:
- Zugang/Zutritt vs. Eingang: "Der Eintritt" can mean the permission or act of entering, while "der Eingang" primarily refers to the physical door or place through which one enters.
- Beginn vs. Anfang: Using "der Eintritt" for a point in time often sounds a bit more formal or emphasizes a sudden onset (e.g., "Eintritt der Dunkelheit" - onset of darkness), whereas "der Anfang" (beginning) is more general.
🧠 Mnemonics for "der Eintritt"
- For the article "der": Imagine a stern doorman (der Mann) demanding the Eintritt (fee/entry). He is der one controlling the Eintritt.
- For the meanings: Think of the English word "entry". Der Eintritt sounds a bit like "entry-tritt". "Tritt" means step in German. So, it's the "entry step" - the step you take to get in (access), the fee you pay for that step (fee), the step into a new time period (onset), or the step into an organisation (joining).
"To gain entry, you take a 'Tritt' (step) inside, maybe pay a fee - that's der Eintritt."
↔️ Synonyms & Antonyms for "der Eintritt"
Synonyms (similar meaning):
- For Access/Admission: der Zugang (access), der Zutritt (admission, access), die Erlaubnis (permission)
- For Admission Fee: das Eintrittsgeld (admission fee), der Eintrittspreis (admission price), die Gebühr (fee)
- For Beginning/Onset: der Beginn (beginning), der Anfang (start), das Einsetzen (onset), der Anbruch (dawn, beginning)
- For Joining/Entry: die Aufnahme (admission, acceptance), der Beitritt (joining), der Einstieg (entry, start)
Antonyms (opposite meaning):
- For Access/Admission: der Austritt (exit, leaving), der Ausgang (exit), das Verlassen (leaving)
- For Beginning/Onset: das Ende (end), der Abschluss (conclusion), der Ausgang (end, outcome)
- For Joining/Entry: der Austritt (resignation, withdrawal), der Ausstieg (leaving, exit), die Kündigung (resignation, termination)
⚠️ Similar Words:
- Der Eingang: Refers to the physical entrance/doorway, not the act of entering or the fee.
- Das Eintreten: The nominalized verb, emphasizing the process of entering itself.
😄 A Little Joke
Gast an der Museumskasse: "Was kostet der Eintritt?"
Kassierer: "Für Sie heute nur ein Lächeln!"
Gast: "Okay, hier ist mein traurigstes Gesicht, ich möchte bitte zwei Karten!"
Translation:
Guest at the museum ticket counter: "What's the admission fee?"
Cashier: "For you today, just a smile!"
Guest: "Okay, here's my saddest face, I'd like two tickets, please!"
📜 Poem about Eintritt
Die Tür steht offen, Licht fällt rein,
Der Eintritt lädt uns herzlich ein.
Mal kostet's Geld, mal ist es frei,
Ein neuer Raum, und wir dabei.
Ob Fest, Museum, Lebensschritt,
Der Eintritt hält 'nen Platz uns mit.
Ein Anfang oft, ein Übergang,
Mal leise und mal mit Gesang.
Translation:
The door stands open, light shines in,
Der Eintritt invites us warmly in.
Sometimes costs money, sometimes it's free,
A new room opens, for you and me.
Be it fest, museum, a life's new stride,
Der Eintritt keeps a place inside.
Often a start, a transition's song,
Sometimes quiet, sometimes loud and strong.
🧩 Riddle
Ich bin der Preis, um reinzukommen,
Hab' oft schon Euros dir genommen.
Ich bin der Start, wenn Neues tagt,
Bin der Moment, der "Willkommen" sagt.
Ich bin ein Schritt, kein ganzer Ritt.
Wer bin ich?
... Der Eintritt
Translation:
I am the price to get inside,
Often taken Euros, nowhere to hide.
I am the start when new things dawn,
Am the moment that says "Welcome" from morn.
I am one step, not a whole long trip.
What am I?
... Der Eintritt (Entrance/Admission/Start)
📌 Other Information
Word Composition:
"Der Eintritt" is composed of the prefix "ein-" (into) and the noun "der Tritt" (step), derived from the verb "treten" (to step, to tread). So, it literally describes the "step into".
Related Verbs:
- eintreten: to enter; to occur/begin; to join; to stand up for/advocate for something
- beitreten: to join (e.g., a club)
Typical Collocations:
- freien Eintritt haben (to have free admission)
- um Eintritt bitten (to ask for admission)
- den Eintritt verwehren (to deny entry)
- Eintritt zahlen (to pay admission)
Summary: is it der, die or das Eintritt?
The word "Eintritt" is always masculine. The correct form is: der Eintritt. It describes access/entry, the fee for it, the beginning/onset of something, or joining an organisation.
