der  Haushalt

B1

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈhaʊsˌhalt/

🏠 What does "der Haushalt" mean?

The German word der Haushalt primarily has two meanings:

1. Household: A group of people living together and managing their domestic affairs (e.g., a family). It can also refer to the dwelling itself (apartment, house) and the related chores.

   • Example: Ein typischer deutscher Haushalt besteht aus drei Personen. (A typical German household consists of three people.)
   • Example: Sie führt den Haushalt allein. (She runs the household alone - i.e., does the housework.)

2. Budget: The financial plan of an organization, a public body (state, municipality), or a private person/family for a specific period.

   • Example: Der Bundestag berät über den neuen Bundeshaushalt. (The German parliament discusses the new federal budget.)
   • Example: Wir müssen unseren Haushalt besser planen. (We need to plan our budget better.)

🚨 Important: Although these are two distinct concepts, both use the masculine article der.

📊 Grammar of "der Haushalt" in Detail

Der Haushalt is a masculine noun. Here are the declension tables:

📝 Example Sentences

• Nominative: Der Haushalt muss sparsamer werden. (The budget must become more economical.)
• Genitive: Die Verwaltung des Haushalts ist kompliziert. (The administration of the budget/household is complicated.)
• Dative: Ich helfe meiner Mutter im Haushalt. (I help my mother in the household/with the chores.)
• Accusative: Wir planen den Haushalt für das nächste Jahr. (We are planning the budget for next year.)
• Plural: Viele Haushalte haben heutzutage einen Internetanschluss. (Many households have an internet connection nowadays.)

💡 How "der Haushalt" is Used

Usage heavily depends on the intended meaning:

• Meaning 1 (Household/Housework):
  • Often used with verbs like führen (to run), machen (to do), erledigen (to take care of), helfen (to help): "den Haushalt machen/führen" (to do the housework).
  • Refers to living together and organizing daily life: "Einpersonenhaushalt" (one-person household), "Mehrgenerationenhaushalt" (multi-generational household).
  • Can also be used metaphorically: "der königliche Haushalt" (the royal household).
• Meaning 2 (Budget):
  • Common in political and economic contexts: "Staatshaushalt" (state budget), "Unternehmenshaushalt" (company budget), "Haushaltsplan" (budget plan), "Haushaltsdefizit" (budget deficit).
  • Used with verbs like planen (to plan), aufstellen (to draw up), beschließen (to decide on), konsolidieren (to consolidate): "den Haushalt aufstellen" (to draw up the budget).
  • Also in a private context: "das monatliche Haushaltsbudget" (the monthly household budget).

⚠️ Pay attention to the context to understand the correct meaning. Compound words (like Bundes- (federal), Privat- (private)) often help distinguish the meanings.

🧠 Mnemonics for "der Haushalt"

1. Article Mnemonic (der):

   Imagine DER Manager (masculine 'der') who is holding (hält) the house (Haus) together - he's in charge of the Haushalt (both chores and budget).

2. Meaning Mnemonic (House & Budget):

   A Haushalt involves a Haus (house) where people are halt-ed (held) together. It also requires you to make a halt to spending sprees by setting a budget (another meaning of Haushalt).

↔️ Synonyms & Antonyms for "der Haushalt"

⚠️ Similar Words

• Haushälterin/Haushälter: Housekeeper (female/male).
• Haushalten (verb): To manage resources economically, to be frugal.

😂 A Joke about Haushalt

Fragt der Finanzminister seine Frau: "Schatz, wie schaffen wir es nur, mit unserem Haushaltsgeld auszukommen?" Sagt sie: "Ganz einfach, Liebling. Du kümmerst dich um die großen Ausgaben wie den Weltfrieden und die Rettung der Wirtschaft, und ich kümmere mich um die kleinen Dinge wie Miete, Essen und Kleidung."

Translation: The finance minister asks his wife: "Honey, how do we manage to make ends meet with our household budget?" She replies: "Simple, darling. You take care of the big expenses like world peace and saving the economy, and I'll take care of the small things like rent, food, and clothing."

✒️ Poem about der Haushalt

Der Haushalt, mal groß, mal klein,
soll stets in Ordnung sein.
Ob Wäsche, Putzen, Kochen, Geld,
er ist's, der alles zusammenhält.

Mal ist er Plan, für Euro und Cent,
den man im Bundestag benennt.
Mal ist er Heim, wo Leben blüht,
man sich um Tisch und Bett bemüht.

Translation:
The Haushalt, sometimes big, sometimes small,
should always be in order.
Whether laundry, cleaning, cooking, money,
it's what holds everything together.

Sometimes it's a plan, for euros and cents,
named in the parliament.
Sometimes it's home, where life blossoms,
where one tends to table and bed.

❓ Riddle

Ich habe Zahlen, doch kein Gesicht.
Ich habe ein Dach, doch wiege nicht.
Ich sorge für Ordnung, mal hier, mal dort,
bin mal ein Budget, mal ein trauter Ort.

Was bin ich?

... Der Haushalt

Translation:
I have numbers, but no face.
I have a roof, but have no weight.
I ensure order, sometimes here, sometimes there,
I'm sometimes a budget, sometimes a cherished place.

What am I? ... Der Haushalt (Household/Budget)

🧩 Additional Info

• Word Composition: The word "Haushalt" is composed of "Haus" (house) and the Old High German word "halt", meaning "administration, possession, supervision". So, it originally described the management of the house.
• Statistics: Statistics on "private Haushalte" (private households) are a crucial basis for social, economic, and infrastructure planning in Germany.
• Idiom: "Mit etwas haushalten müssen" means having to be economical or manage resources carefully.