die  Buße

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈbʊsə/

📜 What does "die Buße" mean?

The word die Buße primarily has two meanings, often used in different contexts:

1. 🙏 Religious/Ethical Penance/Atonement: This refers to an act or feeling of remorse for committed sins or mistakes. It involves atonement, making amends, and attempting to change one's behavior. Often associated with confession, prayer, or ascetic practices. Example: Er tat Buße für seine Sünden. (He did penance for his sins.)
2. ⚖️ Legal Fine/Penalty: This is a monetary penalty imposed for an administrative offense (Ordnungswidrigkeit), which is a lesser violation than a criminal offense (Straftat). It's a financial sanction. Example: Wegen Falschparkens musste sie 30 Euro Buße zahlen. (She had to pay a 30 Euro fine for parking incorrectly.)

🚨 Although both meanings relate to some form of 'amends' or 'penalty', the context (religion/ethics vs. law) is crucial for understanding.

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar in Detail: die Buße

Die Buße is a feminine noun. It's mainly used in the singular, especially in the legal sense (fine). The plural die Bußen exists but is used less frequently (more for multiple individual fines or various acts of penance).

📝 Example Sentences

• Religiös: Die Gläubigen verbrachten den Tag in Gebet und Buße.
  (The worshippers spent the day in prayer and penance.)
• Juristisch: Das Überfahren der roten Ampel zieht eine hohe Buße nach sich.
  (Running the red light results in a hefty fine.)
• Plural (selten): Er musste mehrere Bußen für verschiedene Verkehrsverstöße zahlen.
  (He had to pay several fines for different traffic violations.)

💡 How to use "die Buße"?

Context is key to understanding and using die Buße correctly:

• In a religious or ethical sense: Here, one often speaks of "Buße tun" (to do penance) or "zur Buße bereit sein" (to be ready for penance). It implies inner remorse and the desire for forgiveness or betterment. Example: Nach dem Streit zeigte er echte Buße. (After the argument, he showed genuine remorse.)
• In a legal sense (as a fine): Here, people often talk about "eine Buße zahlen/auferlegen/verhängen" (to pay/impose/levy a fine). It's a formal monetary penalty for administrative offenses (e.g., traffic violations). The more specific term is often das Bußgeld (the fine). Example: Die Behörde verhängte eine Buße wegen Ruhestörung. (The authority imposed a fine for disturbing the peace.)

Distinction from "Strafe": While die Buße (in the legal sense) is a penalty for an Ordnungswidrigkeit (administrative offense), die Strafe often refers to a sanction for a more serious Straftat (criminal offense), such as a larger fine or imprisonment. In a religious context, Buße can be seen as a form of self-punishment or act of atonement, whereas Strafe (e.g., God's punishment) tends to come from an external source.

🧠 Mnemonics for Buße

Article Mnemonic: Many German nouns ending in -e are feminine (die Lampe, die Straße). Also think of die Sünde (sin) – often, die Buße is the consequence.

Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine you have to pay a fine (a Buße) if you misuse the bus lane. Or, think of doing penance (Buße) as something that makes you feel 'blue' (Buße sounds a bit like 'blues' - okay, it's a stretch!). For the fine meaning, think 'pay the Buße or face the abuse'.

↔️ Synonyms & Antonyms

⚠️ Similar Words

• Der Bus / die Busse: (The bus / the buses) Transport vehicle. Sounds similar but unrelated to Buße (unless you get a fine on the bus!).
• büßen (verb): (to atone, to pay for) The act of doing penance or paying a penalty. Example: Er musste für seine Fehler büßen. (He had to pay/atone for his mistakes.)

😂 A Little Joke

German: Fragt der Richter den Angeklagten: "Warum haben Sie die Parkuhr nicht gefüttert?" Antwortet der Angeklagte: "Ich dachte, Kleingeld als Buße wäre genug, ich wollte sie nicht auch noch zum Essen einladen!"

English Translation: The judge asks the defendant: "Why didn't you feed the parking meter?" The defendant replies: "I thought loose change as a fine (Buße) was enough, I didn't want to invite it for dinner too!"

📜 A Short Poem

German:
Für falsches Parken, schnelles Fahren,
muss man oft die Buße tragen.
Ein Zettel flattert, bunt bedruckt,
der Geldbeutel wird gezückt.

Doch auch im Herzen, still und leis,
kennt man der Buße anderen Preis.
Für falsches Wort, für böse Tat,
sucht man Vergebung, früh und spat.

English Translation:
For parking wrong, for driving fast,
one often bears the fine's contrast.
A ticket flutters, brightly printed,
the wallet is quickly hinted.

But in the heart, serene and low,
one knows the other price of penance's flow.
For wrongful word, for evil deed,
forgiveness sought, a constant need.

🧩 Riddle Time

German:
Ich kann dich Geld kosten, wenn du Regeln brichst im Nu,
ich kann aber auch Reue sein, gibst du Fehler zu.
Mal bin ich ein Zettel vom Amt, mal ein Gebet in Ruh'.
Ich bin feminin und fordere oft 'ne Änderung im Tun.

Was bin ich?

English Translation:
I can cost you money if you quickly break the rules,
But I can also be remorse, if mistakes you own as tools.
Sometimes I'm a notice from the office, sometimes a prayer that cools.
I am feminine and often demand a change in what one does or pulls.

What am I?

Solution: die Buße

🌐 More Interesting Facts

Etymology: The word "Buße" originates from the Old High German word "buoza", which meant something like "improvement", "help", "healing", or "compensation". The evolution to the current meaning of atonement and penalty occurred over centuries.

Buß- und Bettag: In Germany, there is the Buß- und Bettag (Day of Repentance and Prayer), a Protestant holiday calling for reflection and reorientation in faith. The concept of remorse and turning back (Buße) is central here too.

Idiom: "In Sack und Asche gehen" (literally: to go in sackcloth and ashes) is an idiom expressing public penance and deep remorse, based on biblical traditions.