der  Zins

B1

Estimated CEFR level.

/t͡sɪns/

💰 What does 'der Zins' mean?

Der Zins (plural: die Zinsen) generally refers to the fee or price paid for borrowed Kapital (capital, i.e., money) over a specific period. The main types are:

• Habenzinsen: Interest you receive for Guthaben (credit balance) in an account (e.g., Sparkonto - savings account).
• Sollzinsen (or Kreditzinsen): Interest you have to pay for a Kredit (loan) you've taken out.

Historically, 'der Zins' could also mean a tribute or rent (similar to Miete or Pacht), but this meaning is rare today and mostly relevant in historical contexts. 📜

⚠️ Note: The plural form 'die Zinsen' is used very frequently, often more so than the singular.

🧐 Grammar of 'der Zins'

The noun 'Zins' is masculine. Here is its declension:

📝 Example Sentences

1. Der Zins für das Tagesgeldkonto ist sehr niedrig.
   (The interest rate for the daily deposit account is very low.)
2. Die Bank berechnete hohe Zinsen für den Überziehungskredit.
   (The bank charged high interest for the overdraft.)
3. Er lebt von den Zinsen seines Kapitals.
   (He lives off the interest from his capital.)
4. Die Berechnung des Zinseszinses ist komplex.
   (The calculation of compound interest is complex.)
5. Im Mittelalter mussten Bauern einen Zins an den Grundherren zahlen.
   (In the Middle Ages, peasants had to pay a tribute/rent to the landlord.)

🏦 How to use 'der Zins'

'Der Zins' (and more often 'die Zinsen') is a central term in Finanzwesen (finance), Wirtschaft (economics), and Bankwesen (banking). It describes the cost of money.

• Context: Kredite (loans), Darlehen (loans, often larger), Geldanlagen (investments), Sparkonten (savings accounts), Anleihen (bonds), Hypotheken (mortgages), Inflation, Geldpolitik (monetary policy).
• Typical Expressions:
  • Zinsen zahlen/erhalten (to pay/receive interest)
  • Zins und Zinseszins (simple and compound interest)
  • fester/variabler Zins(satz) (fixed/variable interest rate)
  • Leitzins (key interest rate)
  • Verzugszinsen (default interest)
• Distinction: 'Die Gebühr' (fee) is more general and can apply to many services, not just borrowed money. 'Die Rendite' (return) or 'der Ertrag' (yield, profit) refer to the profit from an investment, which can include, but isn't limited to, interest.

🧠 Memory Aids for 'der Zins'

Article Mnemonic: Think of der Prinz (the prince, masculine) who collects Zinsen (interest). The prince demands his interest.

Meaning Mnemonic: Zins sounds a bit like the English word "sins". Having to pay high interest can feel like a punishment for the sin of borrowing money! Or, think that interest makes your money "sing" (Zins -> sings) when you save, but makes you "sink" when you borrow heavily.

↔️ Synonyms & Antonyms for 'Zins'

⚠️ Similar Words:

• Zensus (der): Census (sounds similar, but completely different meaning).
• Zinseszins (der): Compound interest (interest calculated on the initial principal and also on the accumulated interest of previous periods).

😂 A Little Joke

Kunde: "Ist mein Geld bei Ihnen denn sicher?"
Bankberater: "Aber ja! Da kommen nicht mal wir selbst ran!"

Customer: "Is my money safe with you?"
Bank advisor: "Absolutely! Even we can't access it anymore!"

(A joke about banks in general, where interest also plays a role.)

📜 Poem about Interest

Der Zins, mal klein, mal groß,
Fließt stetig, ohne Stoß.
Fürs Sparen süßer Lohn,
Beim Leihen bitt'rer Hohn.
Er wächst bei Tag und Nacht,
Hat schon viel Freud' und Leid gebracht.

Interest, sometimes small, sometimes large,
Flows steadily, without a barge.
For saving, a sweet reward,
When borrowing, a bitter sword.
It grows by day and night,
Has brought much joy and plight.

🧩 Riddle

Ich bin der Preis fürs Leihen,
Kann Guthaben vermehren oder Schulden schreien.
Banken lieben mich sehr,
Mal bin ich wenig, mal viel mehr.

Was bin ich?

I am the price for borrowing,
Can increase savings or make debts start sorrowing.
Banks love me dearly,
Sometimes I'm little, sometimes much more, clearly.

What am I?

Solution: der Zins / die Zinsen (interest)

ℹ️ Additional Information

• Word Origin: The word 'Zins' comes from the Latin word 'census', which originally meant 'estimation (of wealth)', 'tax list', or 'fortune'.
• Compounds: There are many compound words with 'Zins-', e.g.:
  • der Zinssatz (interest rate)
  • der Zinseszins (compound interest)
  • die Zinsrechnung (interest calculation)
  • der Habenzins (credit interest)
  • der Sollzins (debit interest)
  • der Leitzins (key interest rate / base rate)
  • die Zinsschranke (interest barrier - a term in tax law)