die
Staatskasse
💰 What does "die Staatskasse" mean?
Die Staatskasse (always feminine: die Staatskasse) refers to the entirety of a state's financial resources, meaning the money the state has at its disposal. You can think of it as the central 'cash box' or 'wallet' of the state, used to finance public spending.
It's a collective term for public finances, including revenues (e.g., Steuern - taxes) and expenditures (e.g., for infrastructure, social benefits, civil servant salaries). Saying that die Staatskasse ist leer (the state treasury is empty) means the state is facing financial difficulties.
🚨 Important: The only article for Staatskasse is die, because the base word 'Kasse' (cash box, till) is feminine in German.
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 Staatskasse" in Detail
The word "Staatskasse" is a feminine noun. It always uses the article die.
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Staatskasse |
| Genitive | der | Staatskasse |
| Dative | der | Staatskasse |
| Accusative | die | Staatskasse |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Staatskassen |
| Genitive | der | Staatskassen |
| Dative | den | Staatskassen |
| Accusative | die | Staatskassen |
📝 Example Sentences
- Die Regierung muss dringend die Staatskasse sanieren. (The government urgently needs to restore the state treasury.)
- Hohe Ausgaben belasten die Staatskasse. (High expenditures burden the public purse.)
- Steuereinnahmen fließen in die Staatskasse. (Tax revenues flow into the state coffers.)
- Die leeren Staatskassen machten Reformen notwendig. (The empty state coffers necessitated reforms.)
🗣️ How "die Staatskasse" is used
The term "Staatskasse" is mainly used in the context of public finance, politics, and economics. It often appears in news and discussions about the national budget (Staatshaushalt), taxes (Steuern), debt (Schulden), and public spending (öffentliche Ausgaben).
- Typical Contexts: Budget debates, reports on national debt, discussions about tax increases or cuts, financing public projects.
- Connotation: Can be neutral, but often carries a negative connotation when referring to 'empty coffers' (leere Staatskassen) or 'burdens on the treasury' (Belastungen für die Staatskasse).
- Distinction: While the Staatshaushalt (state budget) represents the plan for revenues and expenditures, Staatskasse refers more to the actual available or flowing funds.
💡 Mnemonics for "die Staatskasse"
Article Mnemonic: Remember that Kasse (cash box, till) is feminine. Just like a shop has die Kasse, the state also has die Kasse – die Staatskasse. Think 'The state needs the cash', and 'the' for feminine is often die.
Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine the State (Staat) as a giant entity with a huge Cash box (Kasse) where all the tax money goes in and all payments go out. That's die Staatskasse – the state's cash resources.
🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms (Similar Meaning):
- Der Fiskus: Often used synonymously, refers to the state's fiscal administration (the Treasury/Exchequer).
- Die öffentliche Hand (the public hand/sector): Encompasses all levels of government (federal, state, local) and their finances.
- Der Staatshaushalt (the state budget): Refers more to the budget plan, but often used synonymously for the financial resources.
- Öffentliche Mittel / Gelder (public funds / monies): A general term for the state's money.
Antonyms (Opposite Concepts):
- Die Privatschatulle / Privatvermögen (private purse / private assets): Money belonging to private individuals or companies.
- Leere Kassen (empty coffers): Not a direct antonym, but describes the state of lacking funds in the Staatskasse.
- Wirtschaftlicher Überschuss (economic surplus): Describes a positive state of public finances, contrasting with a burdened Staatskasse.
⚠️ Note: Words like Budget or Etat are related but refer more specifically to the plan of income and expenditure, not necessarily the 'cash box' itself.
😂 A Little Joke
Fragt der Finanzminister seinen Berater: "Wo ist eigentlich das ganze Geld aus der Staatskasse hin?"
Antwortet der Berater: "Schauen Sie doch mal aus dem Fenster!"
Der Minister schaut raus.
Berater: "Sehen Sie die neue Autobahn, das moderne Krankenhaus und die renovierte Schule?"
Minister: "Nein?"
Berater: "Sehen Sie? Da ist das Geld!" 😉
(Translation: The finance minister asks his advisor: "Where has all the money from the state treasury gone?"
The advisor replies: "Just look out the window!"
The minister looks out.
Advisor: "Do you see the new highway, the modern hospital, and the renovated school?"
Minister: "No?"
Advisor: "See? That's where the money is!")
📜 Poem about the Staatskasse
Die Kasse des Staates, mal voll, mal leer,
Finanziert das Land, mal leicht, mal schwer.
Steuern fließen rein, Ausgaben raus,
Ein ewiger Kreislauf, im Staatshaus.
Man hofft auf Plus, fürchtet das Minus,
Die Staatskasse – des Volkes Zirkus?
(Translation: The state's coffers, sometimes full, sometimes bare, / Finance the country, sometimes easy, sometimes a snare. / Taxes flow in, expenses go out, / An eternal cycle, in the state house about. / One hopes for surplus, fears the minus, / The state treasury – the people's circus?)
🧩 Riddle
Ich habe kein Schloss, doch bewahre den Schatz,
Bin mal prall gefüllt, mal hab ich keinen Platz.
Alle Bürger zahlen ein, direkt oder indirekt,
Damit der Staat seine Aufgaben deckt.
Was bin ich?
(Translation: I have no lock, yet I guard the treasure, / Sometimes I'm bulging, sometimes I have no measure [of space]. / All citizens pay in, directly or indirectly, / So that the state can cover its duties correctly.
What am I?)
(Answer: die Staatskasse / the state treasury)
✨ Other Information
Word Composition:
The word "Staatskasse" is a compound noun, composed of:
- Der Staat: Meaning the state (political entity).
- Die Kasse: Originally a box for storing money (cash box, till); used here figuratively for financial resources.
Trivia: The term is often used metaphorically to describe the financial health or capacity of a country.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Staatskasse?
The noun "Staatskasse" is always feminine. The correct article is die Staatskasse (in the nominative singular).