der
Millionär
💰 What does 'der Millionär' mean?
Der Millionär refers to a male person who possesses assets (Vermögen) worth at least one million units of a currency (e.g., Euros, Dollars). It's a masculine noun and therefore uses the article 'der'.
The female form is 'die Millionärin'.
⚠️ Attention: The term refers to wealth (assets), not necessarily annual income (Einkommen).
Article rules for der, die, and das
Male characters → always masculine.
Caution: Most professions also have their feminine forms (e.g. die Polizistin). Some words can also have two forms: der/die Deutsche, der/die Kranke.
🧐 Grammar of 'der Millionär' in Detail
The word 'Millionär' is a masculine noun. It belongs to the weak N-declension (schwache N-Deklination), which means it takes the ending '-en' in all cases except the nominative singular.
Declension
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der | Millionär |
| Genitive | des | Millionären |
| Dative | dem | Millionären |
| Accusative | den | Millionären |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Millionäre |
| Genitive | der | Millionäre |
| Dative | den | Millionären |
| Accusative | die | Millionäre |
Example Sentences
- Der reiche Millionär spendete einen großen Betrag für wohltätige Zwecke.
(The rich millionaire donated a large sum for charitable purposes.) - Das ist die Villa des bekannten Millionären.
(That is the villa of the famous millionaire.) - Ich habe dem Millionären meine Geschäftsidee vorgestellt.
(I presented my business idea to the millionaire.) - Sie interviewte den jungen Millionären für ihre Zeitung.
(She interviewed the young millionaire for her newspaper.) - Viele Millionäre investieren in Start-ups.
(Many millionaires invest in start-ups.)
🗣️ Usage in Context
The term 'Millionär' is often used to describe great wealth and financial success. It can be used admiringly, but sometimes also enviously or critically, depending on the context and the speaker's attitude.
- Typical Contexts: Business news (Wirtschaftsnachrichten), reports about wealthy individuals (reiche Persönlichkeiten), discussions about social inequality (soziale Ungleichheit), dreams and aspirations (Träume und Ziele).
- Connotations: Success (Erfolg), luxury (Luxus), power (Macht), sometimes also greed (Gier) or eccentricity (Exzentrik).
- Distinction: A 'Milliardär' (billionaire) is significantly wealthier than a 'Millionär'. A 'Reicher' is a more general term for a wealthy person.
🧠 Mnemonics
Article 'der': Think of 'der' as the default for many male persons. He's the man (der Mann) with millions: der Millionär.
Meaning: 'Million' is easy. The '-är' suffix often denotes a person associated with something (like Visionär - visionary). So, a Million-är is a 'million person'.
🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms (similar meaning):
😂 A Little Joke
Fragt der eine Millionär den anderen: "Sag mal, wie bist du eigentlich so reich geworden?" Antwortet der andere: "Durch Fleiß, Ehrgeiz, Sparsamkeit – und durch die Erbschaft meines Onkels."
Translation: One millionaire asks the other: "Tell me, how did you actually get so rich?" The other replies: "Through diligence, ambition, thriftiness – and my uncle's inheritance."
📜 Poem about the Millionaire
Der Millionär, mit Geld und Macht,
Hat oft an vieles schon gedacht.
Ein großes Haus, ein schnelles Schiff,
Doch wahres Glück – ein selt'ner Griff?
Er zählt die Euros, Tag und Nacht,
Hat Reichtum ihm Zufriedenheit gebracht?
Translation:
The millionaire, with money and might,
Has often thought of things so bright.
A big house, a fast ship's trip,
But true happiness – a rare grip?
He counts the Euros, day and night,
Has wealth brought him contentment's light?
❓ Riddle
Ich habe sieben Stellen auf dem Konto steh'n,
kann mir fast jeden Luxus leisten, wunderschön.
Man nennt mich reich, mein Artikel ist 'der'.
Wer bin ich wohl? Das ist nicht schwer!
Translation:
I have seven figures showing in my account,
Can afford almost any luxury, beautifully fount.
They call me rich, my article is 'der'.
Who am I? It's easy, I swear!
Solution: Der Millionär (The millionaire)
🧩 Other Information
Word Composition (Wortzusammensetzung): The word 'Millionär' derives from 'Million' (million), supplemented by the suffix '-är', which is often used to denote persons (similar to 'Revolutionär' - revolutionary or 'Legionär' - legionary).
Trivia: The definition of a millionaire is subject to inflation. One million Euros today has a different purchasing power than 50 years ago.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Millionär?
The word 'Millionär' refers to a male person with assets of at least one million. It is a masculine noun and therefore takes the article der. The declension follows the weak N-declension pattern (e.g., Genitive: des Millionären).