die  Gebühr

B1

Estimated CEFR level.

/ɡəˈfyːɐ̯/

💰 What exactly is a 'Gebühr'?

The noun Gebühr (feminine, article: die) generally refers to an amount of money that must be paid for a specific service, the use of a facility, or an official administrative action. It is a payment for a specific service rendered.

• Administrative fees (Behördliche Gebühren): e.g., for an ID card (Personalausweis), a building permit (Baugenehmigung).
• Usage fees (Nutzungsgebühren): e.g., for libraries (Bibliotheken), swimming pools (Schwimmbäder), toll roads (Mautstraßen).
• Service fees/charges (Dienstleistungsgebühren): e.g., bank charges (Bankgebühren), processing fees (Bearbeitungsgebühren), registration fees (Anmeldegebühren).

⚠️ Unlike a Preis (price), which is often freely negotiated, Gebühren are frequently fixed or regulated by tariffs, especially in the public sector.

📊 Grammar in Detail: The Declension of 'Gebühr'

The noun „Gebühr“ is feminine. Here are the declension tables for singular and plural:

Example Sentences 📝

1. Die Gebühr für den neuen Pass ist recht hoch. (The fee for the new passport is quite high.)
2. Die Höhe der Gebühr wurde angepasst. (The amount of the fee was adjusted.)
3. Mit dieser Gebühr sind alle Kosten abgedeckt. (All costs are covered with this fee.)
4. Bitte zahlen Sie die Gebühr innerhalb von 14 Tagen. (Please pay the fee within 14 days.)
5. Die monatlichen Gebühren für das Konto sind gestiegen. (The monthly fees for the account have increased.)
6. Eine Liste der anfallenden Gebühren finden Sie online. (You can find a list of the applicable fees online.)
7. Bei Problemen mit den Gebühren wenden Sie sich an den Kundenservice. (If you have problems with the fees, please contact customer service.)
8. Die Stadt erhebt neue Gebühren für die Müllabfuhr. (The city is levying new fees for garbage collection.)

💡 How to Use 'die Gebühr'?

„Die Gebühr“ is used when talking about payment for a clearly defined service, often in an administrative or service-oriented context.

• Context: Public authorities (Ämter), banks (Banken), telecommunications, educational institutions (e.g., Studiengebühren - tuition fees), clubs (Mitgliedsgebühren - membership fees), infrastructure usage (Mautgebühren - toll fees).
• Distinction from other words:
  • Kosten (costs): General term for expenses, not necessarily for a specific service in return (e.g., Lebenshaltungskosten - cost of living).
  • Preis (price): Payment for goods or a freely offered service (e.g., Preis für ein Auto - price of a car).
  • Beitrag (contribution/dues): Payment for membership or a collective service (e.g., Sozialversicherungsbeitrag - social security contribution, Vereinsbeitrag - club membership fee). Can sometimes be used synonymously with Gebühr (e.g., Rundfunkbeitrag - broadcasting fee).
  • Entgelt (remuneration/fee): General term for payment, often synonymous with Gebühr or Lohn (wage).
  • Taxe (tax/levy): Outdated or specific word for Gebühr, often in official or medical contexts (e.g., Kurtaxe - tourist tax).

Common phrases include „eine Gebühr erheben“ (to levy/charge a fee), „eine Gebühr entrichten“ (to pay a fee, formal), or „eine Gebühr zahlen“ (to pay a fee).

🧠 Mnemonics and Memory Aids

Article Mnemonic (die Gebühr)

Imagine paying a fee to borrow a book from 'her' (die) library. 'Her' helps remember the feminine article 'die'. Or think: 'Die Fee demands a fee!' (Fee sounds a bit like Gebühr, and 'die Fee' - the fairy - is feminine).

Meaning Mnemonic (Fee/Charge)

'Ge-BÜHR' sounds a bit like 'Give BEER?' No, not beer, you have to 'give' money as a 'BÜHR-den' (burden/fee) for the service. Or think: You MUST 'give' (Ge-) the fee, 'or' (-ühr, sounds like 'or') there's trouble!

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

⚠️ Similar but Misleading Words

• Geburt (die): Sounds similar, but means 'birth'.
• Gebot (das): Means 'commandment', 'rule', or 'bid' (at an auction).

😂 A Little Joke

German: Fragt der Beamte: „Möchten Sie den Antrag stellen?“ Antwortet der Bürger: „Nein, ich möchte ihn behalten. Aber ich zahle gerne die Gebühr dafür, dass ich ihn überhaupt erst stellen durfte!“

English Translation: The official asks: "Would you like to submit the application?" The citizen replies: "No, I'd like to keep it. But I'm happy to pay the fee for having been allowed to submit it in the first place!"

📜 Poem about the Fee

German:
Für Pass und für die Bücherei,
Für Müllabfuhr und Allerlei,
Verlangt der Staat, die Stadt, der Bund,
Die Gebühr, aus gutem Grund.

Mal ist sie klein, mal ist sie groß,
Man zahlt sie, und dann ist man's los.
Ein kleines Übel, muss man seh'n,
Um Dienste gut zu übersteh'n.

English Translation:
For passport and the library,
For garbage trucks and sundry,
The state, the city, country require,
The fee, for reasons quite entire.

Sometimes it's small, sometimes it's vast,
You pay it, and the hurdle's passed.
A minor ill, one has to face,
To keep the services in place.

❓ Riddle Time

German:
Ich bin kein Preis, doch koste Geld,
Werd' für 'nen Dienst dir hingestellt.
Auf Ämtern bin ich oft zu Haus,
Zahlst du mich nicht, ist's mit dem Service aus.

Was bin ich? (Lösung: die Gebühr)

English Translation:
I am not a price, yet I cost money,
I'm set for a service, given to thee.
In offices, I often reside,
If you don't pay me, service is denied.

What am I? (Answer: die Gebühr / the fee)

🧩 Other Interesting Aspects

Word Compounds (Wortzusammensetzungen)

„Gebühr“ is often part of compound nouns that specify the type of fee:

• Bearbeitungsgebühr: Processing fee.
• Anmeldegebühr: Registration fee.
• Stornogebühr: Cancellation fee.
• Mahngebühr: Late payment fee / reminder fee.
• Jahresgebühr: Annual fee (e.g., for credit cards).
• Grundgebühr: Basic fee / standing charge (e.g., for a phone line).

Etymology (Wortherkunft)

The word „Gebühr“ is related to the verb „gebühren“, which means 'to be due', 'to be fitting', 'to be appropriate'. So, a Gebühr originally meant that which is due to someone for a service.