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bezahlbar
affordable
Cheap enough that one can afford it; not too expensive.
example
Die Mieten in der Innenstadt sind für viele Menschen kaum noch bezahlbar.
Rents in the city center are hardly affordable anymore for many people.
bezahlbar
affordable
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word structure
The word is made up of the verb 'bezahlen' (to pay) and the suffix '-bar' (-able). The suffix '-bar' means that something is possible — so 'bezahlbar' (affordable) literally means 'can be paid for.'
EXAMPLE
Dank des Rabatts war das Fahrrad endlich für mich bezahlbar.
Thanks to the discount, the bike was finally affordable for me.
Typical collocations
'Bezahlbar' (affordable) is often used to talk about the costs of housing, products, or services. Typical collocations are 'bezahlbare Mieten' (affordable rents), 'bezahlbarer Wohnraum' (affordable housing), or 'ein bezahlbares Auto' (an affordable car).
EXAMPLE
Die Regierung verspricht, für mehr bezahlbaren Wohnraum zu sorgen.
The government promises to provide more affordable housing.
Use with adverbs
The word is frequently combined with adverbs such as 'kaum' (hardly), 'nicht mehr' (no longer), or 'gerade noch' (just barely) to express that the financial limit has almost been reached or has already been exceeded.
EXAMPLE
Ein Ticket für das Konzert ist für Normalverdiener kaum noch bezahlbar.
A ticket for the concert is hardly affordable anymore for average earners.
Compare with
bezahlbar vs teuer
expensive
'teuer' and 'bezahlbar' are opposites when talking about price. 'teuer' means that something costs a lot of money. 'bezahlbar' means that the price is still low enough that you can afford it. A product may not be cheap, but still be affordable. If you want to say that something is beyond your budget, 'teuer' fits. If you want to emphasize that the price is still okay, 'bezahlbar' fits.
bezahlbar
Am Stadtrand finden viele Familien noch bezahlbare Wohnungen.
On the outskirts of the city, many families can still find affordable apartments.
teuer
Die Reparatur wird teuer, deshalb vergleicht Max mehrere Angebote.
The repair will be expensive, so Max compares several offers.
In real life
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