einkommen

Definition & meaning

The German word das Einkommen primarily refers to the money that an individual or an entity receives regularly, typically as payment for work, investments, or other sources. It is the German equivalent of "income" or "earnings."

1. Financial context: It describes the total amount of money earned over a specific period (usually a year or a month). For example, a salary, wages, dividends, or pension payments.
2. General context: In a broader sense, it can mean the act of "coming in" or "arriving," although this usage is archaic and almost exclusively replaced by other terms in modern German.

Grammar & Word origin

• Grammar: It is a neuter noun (das). The plural form is identical to the singular (die Einkommen).
• Word origin: It is derived from the German verb einkommen ↗. The word is composed of the prefix ein- (in) and the verb kommen (to come). Historically, it meant "that which comes in," referring to incoming money or revenue.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms:

• der Verdienst ↗ (earnings/wages)
• die Einnahmen ↗ (revenue/receipts, often used in plural)
• das Gehalt ↗ (salary)
• der Ertrag ↗ (yield/proceeds)

Antonyms:

• die Ausgaben ↗ (expenses/expenditure)
• die Kosten ↗ (costs)
• der Verlust ↗ (loss)