These contain some examples of vulgar language.
Download mp3 (file size 1 MB) - right click and choose 'save target as'
Get a print version of this page
Money is a tricky subject for Germans. Money is mainly there for security, not for spending, and having money is regarded as a bit dodgy. It's okay to spend public money but private money should be stashed away in savings accounts. Germans tend to worry about their pensions from a very young age. They lavishly pursue the hobby of bargain hunting and there is a very popular slogan which says it all: Geiz ist geil! Being stingy is cool!
Money
Expensive
Cheap
Broke
Stingy
(* = familiar, ** = very familiar, *** = vulgar, s = slang, Lit. = Literally)
Die Kohle (**) Dosh, Lit. Coal.
Die Mäuse (**) Money, Lit. Mice.
Ein Hunni, ein Tausi, eine Mille (**) One hundred, one thousand, one million. General slang for the hundred/thousand/million euro notes.
Bar auf die Kralle (s) Receiving money in cash. Lit. Cash on the claw.
back to the top
Ein Haufen Geld (**) An arm and a leg. Lit. A heap of money. Das hat mich einen Haufen Geld gekostet. (**) That cost me an arm and a leg.
Das kostet mich ein Vermögen. (*) That cost me a fortune.
Die Kohle zum Fenster rausschmeißen (**) Wasting money. Lit. Throwing coal out of the window.
Eine gute Partie (*) Lit. A good part. Quite an old-fashioned term for somebody with money, like an eligible bachelor.
Voll teuer (**) Very expensive.
back to the top
Das ist ja hinterher geschmissen (**) That's cheap. Lit. That's thrown at you.
Aldig, voll Aldi (s) Skanky. Referring to the cheap supermarket chain Aldi.
back to the top
Ich bin blank (**) I'm broke. Lit. I'm blank.
Ich bin abgebrannt (**) I'm broke. Lit. I'm burnt down.
Ich bin klamm (**) I have no money left. Lit. I'm clammy.
Ich bin auf pump/auf Stütze (s) I'm on welfare/on the dole.
back to the top
Die Taschen zuhalten (**) Being stingy. Lit. To keep your bags closed.
Schlauchen (**) To scrounge.
Etwas auf Pump kaufen (**) Buying something on credit.
Geizhals (*) Stingy person. Lit. Stingy neck.
Knickerig/knauserig (**) Being stingy but having enough money, being an overly economical person for no reason.
back to the top
|