die
Rechnung
🧾 What does 'die Rechnung' mean?
The word die Rechnung is a feminine noun with several important meanings:
- Invoice / Bill: This is the most common meaning. It refers to a document listing the amount due for goods delivered or services rendered. Example: "Bitte begleichen Sie die offene Rechnung bis Ende des Monats." (Please pay the outstanding bill by the end of the month.) You might ask in a restaurant: "Die Rechnung, bitte!" (The bill, please!)
- Calculation / Arithmetic: It can also refer to the mathematical process of calculating or its result. Example: "Seine Rechnung ging nicht auf." (His calculation didn't add up / was wrong.)
- Consideration / Taking into account: In phrases like "etwas Rechnung tragen", it means to take something into account or consideration. Example: "Wir müssen den neuen Umständen Rechnung tragen." (We have to take the new circumstances into account.)
🚨 Since the word ends in "-ung", it's typically feminine (die), which holds true here. There's no "der Rechnung" or "das Rechnung" as a standalone noun.
Article rules for der, die, and das
-ung → always feminine.
There are many -ung words, we won't list them all. There are only a few exceptions.
Numbers, calculations → almost always feminine.
Caution: When verbs are turned into nouns, the result is 'das Addieren', 'das Subtrahieren', 'das Multiplizieren', 'das Dividieren'.
🧐 Grammar & Declension of 'die Rechnung'
Die Rechnung is a feminine noun. Here is its declension:
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Subject) | die | Rechnung |
| Genitive (Possessive) | der | Rechnung |
| Dative (Indirect Object) | der | Rechnung |
| Accusative (Direct Object) | die | Rechnung |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Rechnungen |
| Genitive | der | Rechnungen |
| Dative | den | Rechnungen |
| Accusative | die | Rechnungen |
💡 Example Sentences
- (Invoice/Bill) Der Kellner bringt die Rechnung. (The waiter brings the bill.)
- (Calculation) Die Rechnung des Ingenieurs war korrekt. (The engineer's calculation was correct.)
- (Consideration) Wir tragen dieser Tatsache Rechnung. (We take this fact into account.)
- Ich erhalte viele Rechnungen per E-Mail. (I receive many bills/invoices via email.) (Plural)
🗣️ How to use 'die Rechnung'?
- Everyday Life: Most commonly used in the context of buying and paying. You ask for die Rechnung in a restaurant, receive Rechnungen for services (electricity, rent, phone), or buy things auf Rechnung (pay after receiving the goods, on account).
- In Mathematics: When talking about the result of a calculation or the process, you can use die Rechnung. A close synonym is die Berechnung (the calculation).
- Figuratively / Idiomatically:
- Die Rechnung ohne den Wirt machen: (Literally: To make the bill without the host) To count your chickens before they hatch / to make plans without consulting a key person or considering a crucial factor.
- Jemandem etwas in Rechnung stellen: To charge someone for something OR to blame someone for something.
- Etwas/Jemandem Rechnung tragen: To take something/someone into account.
- Eine offene Rechnung begleichen: Not just paying debts, but also settling an old score or seeking revenge.
Comparison: Die Rechnung (Invoice/Bill) vs. Der Beleg / Die Quittung (Receipt). A Rechnung is a request for payment, while a Beleg or Quittung confirms that payment has been made.
🧠 Mnemonics for 'die Rechnung'
-
Article Mnemonic (die): Remember that many German nouns ending in -ung are feminine (die). Think of die Übung (exercise), die Zeitung (newspaper), die Lösung (solution) – and die Rechnung! Picture a female cashier (die Kassiererin) handing you die Rechnung.
-
Meaning Mnemonic: The word comes from the verb rechnen (to calculate/count). When you get a Rechnung (bill), you have to reckon (calculate) if the amount is correct, or you have to reckon up your money to pay it. For the 'consideration' meaning: You have to factor something into your 'internal reckoning' (your thoughts).
🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms for 'Rechnung'
Synonyms (Similar Meaning):
- For Invoice/Bill:
- Die Faktura (more formal, business term)
- Die Aufstellung (a list of items/costs)
- Die Kostenaufstellung (cost statement)
- Der Zahlschein (payment slip, often for bank transfers)
- For Calculation:
- Die Berechnung (calculation)
- Die Kalkulation (calculation, often financial/planning)
- Das Kalkül (calculation, often strategic)
Antonyms (Opposite Meaning):
- For Invoice/Bill:
- Die Gutschrift (credit note - money credited to you)
- Die Zahlung / Die Bezahlung (the payment - the act of paying the bill)
- Die Quittung / Der Beleg (receipt - proof of payment)
- For Calculation:
⚠️ Similar Sounding Words (Potential Confusion):
😂 A Little Joke
DE: Kellner: "Zahlen bitte!"
Gast: "Okay, Kellner: 3, 17, 42, 101..."
Kellner: "Nein, ich meinte die Rechnung!"
Gast: "Ach so! 87 Euro?! Das kann ja wohl nicht stimmen, Ihre Rechnung geht nicht auf!"
EN: Waiter: "Numbers, please!" (Note: "Zahlen, bitte!" means "Pay, please!" but "Zahlen" also means "numbers")
Guest: "Okay, waiter: 3, 17, 42, 101..."
Waiter: "No, I meant the bill!" (die Rechnung)
Guest: "Oh, I see! 87 Euros?! That can't be right, your calculation doesn't add up!" (Ihre Rechnung geht nicht auf!)
📜 Poem about 'die Rechnung'
DE:
Im Briefkasten, weiß und schlicht,
liegt sie da, ein Schwergewicht.
Die Rechnung, kühl und klar,
fordert Ziffern, wunderbar?
Mal für Strom, mal für das Netz,
manchmal auch ein teurer Metz(-ger).
Man prüft die Posten, zählt geschwind,
ob die Summe richtig sind.
Dann seufzt man tief, bezahlt den Rest,
und hofft, dass bald die nächste lässt......sich Zeit, bis Geld ist wieder da,
das wär' doch wirklich wunderbar!
EN:
In the mailbox, white and plain,
it lies there, causing strain.
The bill (die Rechnung), cool and clear,
demands its figures, oh so dear?
Sometimes for power, sometimes the net,
Sometimes a pricey butcher's debt.
You check the items, count with speed,
if the total's right indeed.
Then sigh deeply, pay the rest,
and hope the next one stands the test...
...of time, till cash is back anew,
that would be wonderful, it's true!
🧩 Little Riddle
DE:
Ich komme oft nach gutem Essen,
manchmal werd' ich auch vergessen.
Ich liste auf, was du bestellt,
und fordre dafür von dir Geld.
In Mathe bin ich auch zu Haus,
doch falsch gerechnet, ist's ein Graus.
Was bin ich?
EN:
I often come after a good meal,
Sometimes forgotten, it's the deal.
I list the things for which you ask,
And demand your money for the task.
In mathematics, I reside,
But wrongly done, nowhere to hide.
What am I?
(Solution: die Rechnung - the bill / the calculation)
🤓 Additional Information about 'die Rechnung'
- Word Formation: The noun die Rechnung is derived from the verb rechnen (to calculate, to count) by adding the suffix -ung. This ending is frequently used to form feminine nouns denoting a process or its result in German.
- Compound Words: There are many compound words (Komposita) with "Rechnung", e.g.:
- Die Handyrechnung (mobile phone bill)
- Die Stromrechnung (electricity bill)
- Die Nebenkostenabrechnung (statement of incidental costs, often part of rent)
- Der Rechnungshof (Court of Auditors - a government financial watchdog)
- Die Rechnungslegung (accounting, financial reporting)
- Idioms: As mentioned in the Usage section, die Rechnung is part of many German idioms.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Rechnung?
The word "Rechnung" is feminine, so the correct article is always die Rechnung. It has several meanings, including an invoice or bill, a calculation, and the act of taking something into account.