die
Tageskarte
🍽️🚌 What exactly is a Tageskarte?
The German word die Tageskarte has two main meanings:
- In a restaurant or café: A special menu listing dishes valid only for the current day, often featuring seasonal or more affordable options (e.g., a lunch menu, Mittagsmenü). It supplements or replaces the regular menu (die Speisekarte).
- In public transport or for events: A ticket (Fahrkarte or Eintrittskarte) valid for an entire calendar day (or sometimes 24 hours from validation) allowing unlimited travel or access during that period.
It's a compound noun formed from der Tag (the day) and die Karte (the card/ticket/menu).
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 Insights for Tageskarte
Die Tageskarte is a feminine noun. The definite article is die.
Singular
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Subject) | die | Tageskarte |
| Genitive (Possessive) | der | Tageskarte |
| Dative (Indirect Object) | der | Tageskarte |
| Accusative (Direct Object) | die | Tageskarte |
Plural
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Tageskarten |
| Genitive | der | Tageskarten |
| Dative | den | Tageskarten |
| Accusative | die | Tageskarten |
Example Sentences
- Restaurant: Der Kellner brachte uns die Tageskarte mit den aktuellen Angeboten. (The waiter brought us the daily menu with the current offers.)
- Restaurant: Auf der Tageskarte stand heute Fisch. (Fish was on the daily menu today.)
- Transport: Wir brauchen zwei Tageskarten für die U-Bahn. (We need two day tickets for the subway.)
- Transport: Mit der Tageskarte können Sie heute so oft fahren, wie Sie möchten. (With the day ticket, you can travel as often as you like today.)
💡 How to Use die Tageskarte?
The context makes the intended meaning clear:
- In a restaurant: You ask for it ("Haben Sie eine Tageskarte?" - Do you have a daily menu?) or receive it automatically. Synonyms here are often Mittagstisch (lunch menu), Tagesangebot (daily special), or Tagesmenü (daily set menu).
- In transport/tourism: You buy it from a machine (Automat), counter (Schalter), or via an app. Synonyms include Tagesticket (day ticket) or 24-Stunden-Karte (24-hour ticket). It's usually cheaper than multiple single tickets (Einzelfahrscheine) if you plan many trips. It often applies to specific zones (Zonen) or the entire network (Gesamtnetz).
⚠️ Pay attention to the exact validity conditions (Gültigkeitsbedingungen): calendar day vs. 24 hours, zones, number of people.
🧠 Mnemonics for Tageskarte
Article Mnemonic: The base word is die Karte (like die Speisekarte - menu, or die Fahrkarte - ticket). Since Karte is feminine, die Tageskarte stays feminine.
Meaning Mnemonic: Think of a Tag (day) full of possibilities: either tasty food from a special Karte (menu in a restaurant) or lots of travel with a single Karte (ticket for transport).
🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms (Similar Words)
- For restaurant context: Tagesmenü (daily set menu), Tagesangebot (daily special), Mittagskarte (lunch menu), Mittagstisch (lunch special/menu)
- For ticket context: Tagesticket (day ticket), 24-Stunden-Karte (24-hour ticket), Tagespass (day pass)
Antonyms (Opposites)
- For restaurant context: Standardkarte (standard menu), Abendkarte (evening menu), Speisekarte (menu in general)
- For ticket context: Einzelfahrkarte (single ticket), Monatskarte (monthly pass), Jahreskarte (annual pass), Kurzstreckenkarte (short trip ticket)
Similar but Different Words
- Speisekarte: The general menu in a restaurant, often more extensive than the Tageskarte.
- Fahrkarte/Fahrschein: General terms for any kind of public transport ticket.
😄 A Little Joke
German: Fragt der Gast den Kellner: "Was empfehlen Sie heute von der Tageskarte?" Antwortet der Kellner: "Dass Sie sie schnell lesen, bevor sie morgen nicht mehr gilt!" 😉
English: A guest asks the waiter: "What do you recommend from the daily menu today?" The waiter replies: "That you read it quickly before it's no longer valid tomorrow!" 😉
📜 A Poem about the Karte
German:
Ob Gulasch, Fisch, ob vegetarisch fein,
Die Tageskarte lädt dich herzlich ein.
Was frisch der Markt heut' Morgen bot,
Steht hier geschrieben, ohne Not.
Und fährst du Bus und Bahn geschwind,
Durch Stadt und Land, wie der Wind,
Die Tageskarte, dein Pass für heut',
Macht mobil dich, weit und breit.
English Translation:
Be it goulash, fish, or vegetarian fine,
The daily menu cordially invites you to dine.
What the market offered fresh this morn,
Is written here, without scorn.
And if you ride the bus and train swiftly,
Through city and country, like the wind driftly,
The day ticket, your pass for today,
Makes you mobile, come what may.
🧩 A Little Riddle
German:
Ich zeige dir, was es heut' zu essen gibt,
Oder sorge dafür, dass dein Tag mobil verbliebt.
Mal bin ich aus Papier, mal digital im App,
Für einen Tag bin ich dein Tipp auf Trab.
Was bin ich?
English:
I show you what there is to eat today,
Or ensure your day stays mobile along the way.
Sometimes I'm paper, sometimes digital in an app,
For one whole day, I keep you on the map.
What am I?
Die Tageskarte (the daily menu / the day ticket)Solution
✨ Other Information
Word Composition (Wortzusammensetzung):
The word "Tageskarte" is a compound noun (Kompositum), composed of:
- Der Tag: Meaning 'the day', referring to the period of validity (one day) or the time frame of the offer (for today).
- Die Karte: Meaning 'the card', 'the map', 'the ticket', or 'the menu'. In this context, it refers to the physical or digital document (menu, ticket).
It's interesting how versatile the word "Karte" is in German (playing card, map, postcard, menu, ticket, etc.). In the context of "Tageskarte", the relevant meanings are "menu" or "ticket".
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Tageskarte?
The noun "Tageskarte" is feminine. The correct article is die Tageskarte. It refers either to a daily menu in a restaurant or a ticket valid for one day (e.g., for public transport).