der  Lohn

A2

Estimated CEFR level.

/loːn/

💰 What does "der Lohn" mean?

The word der Lohn (plural: die Löhne) primarily has two meanings in German:

• Payment for work: This is the most common meaning. It refers to the payment a person receives for their physical or manual labor, often calculated on an hourly, daily, or weekly basis. Example: "Er erhält seinen Lohn immer am Monatsende." (He always receives his wage at the end of the month.)
• Reward or recognition (figuratively): It can also mean a reward, merit, or the consequence (positive or negative) of an action. Example: "Das ist der Lohn für deine Mühen." (That is the reward for your efforts.) or "Undank ist der Welten Lohn." (Ingratitude is the way of the world - proverb, lit. 'Ingratitude is the world's reward.')

🚨 Distinction from "Gehalt": While Lohn is often used for blue-collar workers and can be calculated by hours/piecework, das Gehalt usually refers to the fixed monthly payment for white-collar employees.

📊 Grammar of "der Lohn" in Detail

The noun "Lohn" is masculine. Here is its declension:

Example Sentences

1. Der Lohn für diese harte Arbeit ist nicht sehr hoch.
   (The wage for this hard work is not very high.)
2. Die Gewerkschaft fordert höhere Löhne.
   (The union demands higher wages.)
3. Er bekam den verdienten Lohn für seine Ehrlichkeit.
   (He received the deserved reward for his honesty.)
4. Des Sängers Lohn ist der Applaus.
   (The singer's reward is the applause.)

🗣️ How is "Lohn" used?

Der Lohn is primarily used in the context of work and payment, especially for activities that are not necessarily academic or are paid by the hour.

• Typical Contexts: Employment contracts, wage negotiations (especially in the trade/manual labor sector), discussions about minimum wage (*Mindestlohn*), social justice.
• Fixed Expressions:
  • "Gleicher Lohn für gleiche Arbeit" (Equal pay for equal work)
  • "Der Lohn der Angst" (The Wages of Fear - also a film title)
  • "Um Gottes Lohn arbeiten" (To work for nothing / for God's reward)
  • "Undank ist der Welten Lohn" (Ingratitude is the way of the world)
• Distinction: As mentioned, for employees with a fixed monthly salary, das Gehalt is more common. Die Vergütung is a more general term for payment. Das Honorar is typically paid for freelance services (e.g., doctors, lawyers, artists).

🧠 Mnemonics for "Lohn"

1. Article (der): Think: You work hard during the day for der Lohn. The 'd' and 'r' might help remember 'der'. Or: The worker gets der Lohn.
2. Meaning (Wage/Reward): Imagine someone saying, "After all that work, I feel low until I get my pay ('Lohn')." Or think of the connection between 'Belohnung' (reward) and 'Lohn'.

↔️ Synonyms & Antonyms

⚠️ Similar but Different Words:

• Lehn (das): Fief (historical term). Sounds similar but unrelated.
• Lehm (der): Loam, clay (type of soil).

😂 A Little Joke

Fragt der Chef den neuen Mitarbeiter: "Sind Sie mit Ihrem Lohn zufrieden?"
Antwortet der Mitarbeiter: "Ja, sehr! Nur mit dem Geld, das dabei rauskommt, nicht so ganz..."

Translation:
The boss asks the new employee: "Are you satisfied with your wage (Lohn)?"
The employee replies: "Yes, very! Just not entirely with the money that comes out of it..."

📜 Poem about Lohn

Für Arbeit, schwer und oft nicht leicht,
wird dir der Lohn am End' gereicht.
Mal knapp, mal fair, mal grad genug,
für Miete, Essen, Zug um Zug.

Doch Lohn ist mehr als nur das Geld,
es ist, was uns zusammenhält.
Die Müh' hat einen Wert, ein Ziel,
auch wenn's nicht immer ist so viel.

Translation:
For labor, hard and often not light,
the wage (der Lohn) is handed to you in the end.
Sometimes scarce, sometimes fair, sometimes just enough,
for rent, food, bit by bit.

But wage is more than just the cash,
it's what holds us together in a dash.
The effort has value, a goal,
even if it's not always so whole (much).

❓ Riddle Time

Ich werde für Arbeit gegeben,
manchmal reicht er kaum zum Leben.
Ich kann auch Dank und Anerkennung sein,
mal groß, mal klein.

Was bin ich? ... Der Lohn

Translation:
I am given for work,
sometimes I'm barely enough to live.
I can also be thanks and recognition,
sometimes big, sometimes small.

What am I?
... Der Lohn (The wage/reward)

🧩 Other Information about "der Lohn"

Compound Words (Wortzusammensetzungen):

• Mindestlohn: Minimum wage
• Stundenlohn: Hourly wage
• Akkordlohn: Piece-rate wage
• Hungerlohn: Starvation wage (a very low wage)
• Lohnsteuer: Wage tax
• Lohnnebenkosten: Non-wage labor costs (additional costs for the employer, e.g., social security contributions)

Interesting: The word "Lohn" has Germanic roots and is related to the English word "loan" (which originally also had a sense of reward/gift).