verb

abbuchen

debit

Ein Vorgang, bei dem eine Bank oder ein Unternehmen Geld direkt von einem Konto wegnimmt, um eine Rechnung zu bezahlen.

Definition & meaning

The verb abbuchen refers to the act of debiting or deducting an amount of money from an account. It is most commonly used in the context of banking and finance, specifically when a bank or a merchant electronically removes funds from a customer's checking or savings account.

Financial context: To withdraw money from an account, usually via an automated process like a direct debit (Lastschrift).
Accounting context: To record an expenditure in bookkeeping, effectively removing that amount from the balance of a specific ledger account.

Grammar & Word origin

Grammar:

Type: Weak verb (regular).
Conjugation: abgebucht (past participle), buchte ab (simple past).
Separable: Yes, it is a separable verb. In a sentence, the prefix "ab-" moves to the end (e.g., "Die Bank bucht das Geld heute ab.").

Origin: The word is a compound of the prefix ab- (meaning "off" or "away") and the verb buchen (meaning "to book" or "to record"). It literally describes the act of "booking something away" from a financial record.