die  Summe

A2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈzʊmə/

🔢 What exactly is 'die Summe'?

The German word die Summe (feminine) has several related meanings:

• Mathematical Result: The result of an addition (Addition). Example: Die Summe von 2 und 3 ist 5. (The sum of 2 and 3 is 5.)
• Amount of Money: A certain amount of money (Geldbetrag). Example: Er hat eine beträchtliche Summe geerbt. (He inherited a considerable sum.)
• Total Amount/Totality: The whole, the result of a summary or accumulation (Gesamtheit). Example: Die Summe seiner Erfahrungen machte ihn weise. (The sum of his experiences made him wise.)

There is only the article die for this word, which makes it easier to remember. 🥳

Article rules for der, die, and das

📚 Grammar of 'die Summe' in Detail

Die Summe is a feminine noun. Here is its declension (Deklination):

Example Sentences (Beispielsätze)

1. Die Lehrerin erklärte, wie man die Summe berechnet.
   (The teacher explained how to calculate the sum.)
2. Das Ergebnis ist die Summe aller Teile.
   (The result is the sum of all parts.)
3. Er überwies eine große Summe auf ihr Konto.
   (He transferred a large sum to her account.)
4. Wir haben die Summen der einzelnen Abteilungen verglichen.
   (We compared the sums of the individual departments.)
5. Dank der Addition der Summen kennen wir das Gesamtergebnis.
   (Thanks to the addition of the sums, we know the total result.)

💡 How to use 'die Summe'?

• Mathematics: Very common in the context of addition and calculations. (Die Summe der Winkel im Dreieck beträgt 180 Grad. - The sum of the angles in a triangle is 180 degrees.)
• Finance: Often used for amounts of money, especially when they are large or unspecified. (Er musste eine hohe Summe Strafe zahlen. - He had to pay a large sum as a fine.) Sometimes, the more precise term der Betrag (the amount) is used here.
• General/Figurative: To express a totality or the end result of something abstract. (Die Summe meiner Bemühungen war leider gering. - The sum of my efforts was unfortunately small.)

Distinction from similar words:

• Der Betrag: Similar to 'Summe' for money, but often more specific for a defined value.
• Die Anzahl: Refers to the number of countable items, not their value or the result of an addition.
• Das Ergebnis: A more general term for a result, whereas 'Summe' specifically means the result of an addition (or a total amount).

🧠 Mnemonics for 'die Summe'

Article Mnemonic

Remember: Most German nouns ending in -e are feminine, including die Summe. Picture a female cashier (die Kassiererin) needing the (die) final sum (Summe).

Meaning Mnemonic

The German word 'Summe' sounds very similar to the English word 'sum'. Imagine 'sum'-ming up many things together to get die Summe. Or think of a 'summ'-ing (humming) sound that gets louder as more numbers are added until the final Summe is reached. 🐝➕🔢=💰

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

⚠️ Caution: Although 'Betrag' is often used synonymously, 'Summe' can sometimes imply a larger or more indefinite value.

😄 A Little Joke

German: Warum sind Mathematiker so schlecht im Sonnenbaden?

Antwort: Weil sie ständig mit den Summen über Kreuz liegen!

English Translation: Why are mathematicians so bad at sunbathing?

Answer: Because they are always cross with the sums! (Pun: 'mit jemandem/etwas über Kreuz liegen' means 'to be at odds with someone/something'.) 😉

✍️ Poem about 'die Summe'

German:

Eins und eins, das ist nicht schwer,
Zwei und drei, es kommt noch mehr.
Zahl um Zahl, ganz ohne Kummer,
ergibt am End' die stolze Summe.

Ob Geld im Beutel, hell und blank,
ob Wissen in dem Gedankengang,
alles zählt, Stück für Stück,
die Summe bringt das große Glück.

English Translation:

One and one, that isn't hard,
Two and three, more to regard.
Number by number, without sorrow,
results in the proud sum tomorrow.

Whether money in the purse, bright and clear,
whether knowledge in the mind held dear,
everything counts, piece by piece,
the sum brings great happiness and ease.

❓ Riddle Time

German:

Ich bin das Kind von Plus und Gleich,
mach viele Zahlen auf einen Streich
zu einem Wert, ob groß, ob klein.
Was kann ich wohl nur sein?

English Translation:

I am the child of plus and equals,
I turn many numbers in one sequel
into one value, whether large or small.
What can I possibly be, after all?

Solution: Die Summe (The sum)

🧐 More Interesting Facts

Word Origin (Etymology):

The word 'Summe' comes from the Latin word summa, which originally meant "the highest part", "the main thing", or "the total amount". It is related to summus (highest).

Related Words:

• summieren: to sum up, to add
• summarisch: summary (adjective), concise
• Summand: addend (a number being added)

Idiom:

„In der Summe...“ means something like "all in all" or "in summary".