die
Pension
💰🏠 What Exactly is a Pension?
The German word die Pension has two main meanings:
- Retirement pay / pension (especially for civil servants - Beamte): This refers to the money someone receives regularly after ending their professional career, particularly in public service. The phrase is "in Pension gehen" (to retire).
- Small lodging establishment / guesthouse: A Pension is a type of accommodation, often family-run and simpler than a hotel, offering rooms for overnight stays, frequently including breakfast.
🚨 Caution: Although it sounds similar, die Pension in German usually does not mean a boarding school (that would be das Internat).
🧐 Grammar Deep Dive: Die Pension
The noun "Pension" is feminine. The article is always die.
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Pension |
| Genitive | der | Pension |
| Dative | der | Pension |
| Accusative | die | Pension |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Pensionen |
| Genitive | der | Pensionen |
| Dative | den | Pensionen |
| Accusative | die | Pensionen |
Example Sentences
- (Retirement pay) Nach 40 Dienstjahren freut sich der Lehrer auf seine wohlverdiente Pension.
(After 40 years of service, the teacher is looking forward to his well-deserved pension.) - (Retirement pay) Die Höhe der Pension hängt von der Dienstzeit ab.
(The amount of the pension depends on the length of service.) - (Guesthouse) Wir haben für unseren Urlaub eine gemütliche Pension am See gebucht.
(We booked a cozy guesthouse by the lake for our vacation.) - (Guesthouse) In dieser Gegend gibt es viele kleine Pensionen.
(There are many small guesthouses in this area.)
📝 How to Use "die Pension"?
Usage heavily depends on the meaning:
- In the context of retirement: People often talk about "in Pension gehen" (to retire) or "in Pension sein" (to be retired). This is particularly common for civil servants (Beamte), judges (Richter), and soldiers (Soldaten). For employees (Angestellte) and workers (Arbeiter), the term "Rente" is more common ("in Rente gehen").
Example: Mein Onkel ist seit letztem Jahr in Pension. (My uncle has been retired since last year.) - In the context of accommodation: A Pension is booked as a place to stay overnight, similar to a hotel, but often smaller and more personal. You stay "in einer Pension".
Example: Für das Wochenende suchen wir eine günstige Pension im Stadtzentrum. (We are looking for an affordable guesthouse in the city center for the weekend.)
Comparison:
- Pension vs. Rente: Pension is primarily the retirement pay for civil servants, while Rente is for employees/workers from the state pension insurance.
- Pension vs. Hotel: A Pension is usually smaller, more family-like, and often offers fewer services than a Hotel (e.g., no à la carte restaurant, no 24h reception).
🧠 Mnemonics for "die Pension"
For the article (die): Imagine die nice lady (die nette Dame) who runs die little guesthouse OR die female civil servant (die Beamtin) who is going into die Pension (retirement). Feminine associations help with "die".
For the meanings: Think of a "Pension Plan": A plan (the accommodation) for the time after work (the pension/retirement pay). Or: You need a lot of money (Pension) to vacation in a nice guesthouse (Pension).
↔️ Opposites and Similar Words
Synonyms
- For retirement pay: Ruhegehalt, Ruhegeld, Ruhebezüge, Altersversorgung (esp. for civil servants), Versorgung
- For accommodation: Gasthaus (inn/pub with rooms), Gästehaus (guesthouse), Fremdenzimmer (room for rent), Bed and Breakfast (B&B), Herberge (hostel, simpler)
Antonyms
- For retirement pay: Gehalt (salary), Lohn (wage), Besoldung (salary, esp. civil servants), Arbeitseinkommen (earned income), Erwerbstätigkeit (employment)
- For accommodation: Hotel (often larger/more services), Jugendherberge (youth hostel, different concept), Zeltplatz (campsite)
⚠️ Similar but Different Words
😂 A Little Joke
Fragt der Enkel den Opa: "Opa, was machst du eigentlich den ganzen Tag in der Pension?"
Sagt der Opa: "Ich habe einen 7-Tage-Wochenendjob!"
Translation:
The grandson asks his grandpa: "Grandpa, what do you actually do all day in retirement (Pension)?"
The grandpa says: "I have a 7-day weekend job!"
✍️ A Little Poem about Pension
Die Arbeit schwer, die Jahre fliehen,
bald wird man in Pension ziehen.
Kein Wecker klingelt mehr so früh,
genießen nun die Ruh', oh wie!
Oder am Meer, in Bergeshöh'n,
find' ich 'ne Pension, so schön.
Ein kleines Haus, mit Herz geführt,
wo man sich gleich willkommen spürt.
Translation:
Work was hard, the years fly past,
soon into retirement (Pension) one is cast.
No alarm clock rings so early now,
enjoying the peace, oh wow!
Or by the sea, on mountain high,
I find a guesthouse (Pension), way up nigh.
A little house, run with heart,
where one feels welcome from the start.
🧩 Riddle Time
Ich bin ein Lohn für lange Treu',
doch auch ein Haus, für Gäste neu.
Beamte freu'n sich sehr auf mich,
Touristen buchen sicherlich.
Was bin ich?
Translation:
I am a reward for long loyalty,
But also a house, for guests anew.
Civil servants look forward to me,
Tourists certainly book me too.
What am I?
(Answer: die Pension)
ℹ️ More Tidbits
Word Origin: The word "Pension" comes from the French pension, which originally meant 'payment', 'board money', or 'allowance'. This explains the dual meaning of financial benefit and accommodation for payment.
Compounds: There are several compound words, e.g.:
- Die Pensionskasse: A pension fund (institution managing company pension schemes).
- Der Pensionsanspruch: The entitlement to receive pension benefits.
- Der Pensionsgast: A guest staying in a guesthouse (Pension).
- Halbpension/Vollpension: Half-board/full-board (types of meal plans in hotels or guesthouses).
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Pension?
The German word "Pension" is feminine. The correct article is always die, so it's die Pension (plural: die Pensionen). It refers to both retirement pay (especially for civil servants) and a type of guesthouse or small hotel.