die  Verteuerung

C1

Estimated CEFR level.

/fɛɐ̯ˈtɔʏ̯ʁʊŋ/

💰 What exactly is a Verteuerung?

Die Verteuerung describes the process or result of something becoming more expensive. It refers to a price increase or a rise in cost for goods, services, or the general cost of living.

The word is feminine, so the article is always die.

It's often used when talking about the price increase of:

• Lebensmittel (groceries)
• Energie (energy: electricity, gas, fuel)
• Mieten (rents)
• Rohstoffe (raw materials)

⚠️ It usually describes a general trend or a significant price change, less so a minor adjustment.

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar in Detail: Die Verteuerung

The noun „Verteuerung“ is feminine.

Declension Singular:

Plural:

The plural „die Verteuerungen“ is rarely used. It's employed when referring to multiple specific instances of price increases.

📝 Example Sentences:

1. Die allgemeine Verteuerung macht vielen Menschen Sorgen.
   (The general price increase worries many people.)
2. Wir beobachten eine deutliche Verteuerung bei den Energiepreisen.
   (We are observing a significant price increase in energy prices.)
3. Die Regierung versucht, Maßnahmen gegen die Verteuerung zu ergreifen.
   (The government is trying to take measures against the rise in prices.)
4. Mehrere unerwartete Verteuerungen belasteten das Budget des Unternehmens.
   (Several unexpected price increases strained the company's budget.) (Plural example)

🗣️ How to use "Verteuerung"?

„Verteuerung“ is mainly used in the context of economics (Wirtschaft), finance (Finanzen), and everyday consumption (alltäglicher Konsum). It describes the rise in prices and costs.

• General price increases: Often used in connection with inflation or rising living costs. (Example: Die spürbare Verteuerung betrifft alle Lebensbereiche. - The noticeable price increase affects all areas of life.)
• Specific price hikes: Can also refer to individual products or services. (Example: Die Verteuerung von Rohöl führt zu höheren Benzinpreisen. - The increase in the price of crude oil leads to higher fuel prices.)
• Abstract concept: Describes the process of becoming more expensive itself.

Comparison:

• Verteuerung vs. Preiserhöhung: „Verteuerung“ often sounds slightly more formal or refers to a more general trend, while „Preiserhöhung“ can also be a specific, single adjustment (e.g., the price increase for a specific product in the supermarket). „Verteuerung“ often emphasizes the result or state of being more expensive.
• Verteuerung vs. Inflation: Inflation is the broader economic term for the general increase in the price level and the associated loss of purchasing power of money. A Verteuerung is often a consequence or symptom of inflation, but can also have specific reasons (e.g., supply shortages).

🧠 Mnemonics for Verteuerung

Article Mnemonic: Think of related feminine nouns ending in "-ung" that often describe a process or state: die Teuerung (increase in price), die Steigerung (increase), die Erhöhung (increase/rise). They all end in -ung and are feminine (die). So is die Verteuerung.

Meaning Mnemonic: The word contains "teuer", which means expensive. The prefix "ver-" often indicates a change (like in verändern - to change, verschlechtern - to worsen). So: Something is changing (ver-) towards being expensive (teuer). The result is die Verteuerung (the process/result of becoming expensive).

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

⚠️ Similar but Different Words:

• Wertsteigerung: (Increase in value, appreciation) Refers to the increase in value (e.g., of property), not necessarily the price or cost.
• Kosten: (Costs, expenses) The expenses themselves, not their increase.

😄 A Little Joke

Fragt der Kunde den Bäcker: „Warum sind Ihre Brötchen schon wieder teurer geworden?“

Sagt der Bäcker: „Das ist keine Verteuerung, das ist eine Inflationsanpassung mit Aufrundungsspielraum!“

Translation:

Customer asks the baker: "Why have your bread rolls gotten more expensive again?"

Baker says: "That's not a price increase, that's an inflation adjustment with rounding-up leeway!"

📜 Poem about Price Increases

Die Butter, das Brot, das Benzin,
alles zieht im Preise an, wohin?
Die Verteuerung schleicht sich ein,
im Portemonnaie wird's langsam klein.
Man rechnet, spart, dreht jeden Cent,
ein allbekanntes Element.

Translation:

The butter, the bread, the gasoline,
everything's price is rising, where to lean?
The price increase creeps softly in,
the wallet's getting slowly thin.
One calculates, saves, turns every cent,
a well-known element.

🧩 Little Riddle

Ich habe keinen Körper, doch ich wachse schnell.
Ich mache Waren teuer, oft zur Käufers Quell’
Von Sorgenfalten tief und leerem Portemonnaie.
Man nennt mich Inflation, doch auch ganz schlicht ... ?

Lösung (Solution): die Verteuerung

Translation:

I have no body, yet I grow fast.
I make goods expensive, often the buyer's cast
Of worry lines deep and an empty purse's plea.
They call me inflation, but also simply...?

Solution: die Verteuerung (the price increase)

💡 Other Information

Word Composition:

The word „Verteuerung“ is composed of:

• ver-: A prefix often indicating a change or process (something becomes expensive).
• teuer: The adjective for expensive.
• -ung: A suffix that forms nouns from verbs or adjectives, often describing a process, state, or result. These nouns are almost always feminine (die).

So, the formation is quite logical: The process (-ung) of a change (ver-) towards being expensive (teuer).