die
Goldgrube
💰 What does 'die Goldgrube' mean?
'Die Goldgrube' is a feminine noun with two main meanings:
- Literally: A mine where gold is extracted (a gold mine). This meaning is less common in everyday use today.
- Figuratively (more common): A source of great wealth or profit; a very lucrative business, a profitable venture, or a rich source of information. This is the most common usage. It describes something that turns out to be extremely advantageous or profitable.
The article is always 'die' because it's a feminine noun. ⚠️ Don't confuse it with similar terms that might not carry the same figurative meaning.
Article rules for der, die, and das
-e/-ee → almost always feminine.
There are many -e nouns, many of which are feminine, but there are also some important exceptions.
🧐 Grammar of 'die Goldgrube'
The word 'Goldgrube' is a feminine noun. The article is always die.
Declension:
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Goldgrube |
| Genitive | der | Goldgrube |
| Dative | der | Goldgrube |
| Accusative | die | Goldgrube |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Goldgruben |
| Genitive | der | Goldgruben |
| Dative | den | Goldgruben |
| Accusative | die | Goldgruben |
📝 Examples
- Dieses kleine Café entpuppte sich als wahre Goldgrube.
(This little café turned out to be a real gold mine.) - Die alten Briefe meiner Großmutter sind eine Goldgrube für Familienhistoriker.
(My grandmother's old letters are a gold mine for family historians.) - Früher gab es in dieser Region viele Goldgruben.
(There used to be many gold mines in this region.) - Er hofft, mit seiner neuen App eine Goldgrube gefunden zu haben.
(He hopes to have found a gold mine with his new app.)
💡 How to use 'Goldgrube'?
The term 'die Goldgrube' is mostly used figuratively to describe something very profitable or highly beneficial. It can refer to:
- Businesses/Investments: Der Online-Shop war von Anfang an eine Goldgrube. (The online shop was a gold mine from the start.)
- Ideas/Concepts: Seine Idee, alte Fahrräder zu reparieren und zu verkaufen, erwies sich als Goldgrube. (His idea to repair and sell old bicycles proved to be a gold mine.)
- Sources of Information: Das Archiv ist eine Goldgrube für Historiker. (The archive is a gold mine for historians.)
- Places (rarely literally): In den Bergen Kaliforniens gab es einst viele Goldgruben. (There were once many gold mines in the mountains of California.)
Compared to 'Geldquelle' (source of money) or 'Einnahmequelle' (source of income), 'Goldgrube' often sounds stronger, suggesting unexpectedly high or very easy profit. It has a positive connotation but can sometimes sound slightly exaggerated.
🧠 Mnemonics for Goldgrube
Article Mnemonic: Imagine Queen Midas touching things. SHE (feminine, like 'die') turns the Grube (pit/mine) she's standing in into gold. -> die Grube -> die Goldgrube.
Meaning Mnemonic: Picture a deep Grube (pit), but instead of dirt, it's filled with shiny Gold – an image for unexpected, great wealth or benefit.
↔️ Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms (similar meaning):
- Geldquelle: Source of money.
- Schatzkammer: Treasure trove (often for valuable info/items).
- Einnahmequelle: Source of income/revenue.
- Erfolgsrezept (fig.): Recipe for success.
- gefundenes Fressen (fig.): A windfall, something easily exploited (lit. 'found food').
- (wahre) Fundgrube: (Real) treasure trove, very similar to Goldgrube, often for information or collections.
⚠️ Similar Words: 'Fundgrube' is very similar but is more often used for places with many interesting finds or information, not necessarily just financial gain.
😂 A Little Joke
Warum hat der Archäologe seine Ausgrabungsstätte eine Goldgrube genannt?
Weil er ständig auf alte Witze stieß!
(Why did the archaeologist call his excavation site a gold mine?
Because he kept digging up old jokes!)
✍️ Poem about Goldgrube
Tief im Berg, verborgen, alt,
liegt das gleißend kühle Gold.
Doch auch im Geist, 'ne Idee, ein Plan,
wird zur Goldgrube irgendwann.
Ein Laden klein, ein Buch, ein Lied,
wenn's Reichtum und viel Freude zieht.
(Deep in the mountain, hidden, old,
lies the glistening cool gold.
But also in the mind, an idea, a plan,
becomes a Goldgrube eventually.
A small shop, a book, a song,
when it attracts wealth and much joy.)
❓ Riddle
Ich bin kein Schatz, den man vergräbt,
doch Reichtum oft aus mir entsteht.
Mal bin ich tief in Fels gehauen,
mal kannst du mir als Geschäft vertrauen.
Was bin ich?
(I am not a treasure one buries,
yet wealth often arises from me.
Sometimes I am carved deep in rock,
sometimes you can trust me as a business.
What am I?)
Solution: die Goldgrube
Fodder for the Curious
Word Composition:
The word 'Goldgrube' is a compound noun, composed of:
- Gold: The well-known precious metal.
- Grube: A pit or hole in the ground, often for mining resources (like a mine).
The figurative meaning developed from the idea that a real gold mine is a source of immense wealth.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Goldgrube?
The word 'Goldgrube' is always feminine. The correct article is die Goldgrube (in plural: die Goldgruben).