der Geldbeutel
wallet
A small container, usually made of leather or fabric, in which you keep cash, cards, and ID documents. Synonyms are purse or billfold.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe meinen Geldbeutel zu Hause vergessen.
I forgot my wallet at home.
der Geldbeutel
wallet
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Meanings
der Geldbeutel
budget
Used figuratively for the financial means or available budget of a person, family, or organization.
EXAMPLE
Eine Weltreise sprengt leider unseren Geldbeutel.
A trip around the world would unfortunately blow our budget.
Usage tips
Compound structure
'Geldbeutel' (wallet) is a compound noun made up of 'Geld' (money) and 'Beutel' (bag/pouch). So it literally means 'a pouch for money'.
EXAMPLE
Hast du genug Bargeld in deinem Geldbeutel?
Do you have enough cash in your wallet?
Typical verbs
Common verbs used with 'Geldbeutel' (wallet) in its literal meaning include 'den Geldbeutel verlieren' (to lose one's wallet), 'den Geldbeutel zücken' (to pull out one's wallet in order to pay), or 'im Geldbeutel nachsehen' (to check in one's wallet).
EXAMPLE
An der Kasse zückte er seinen Geldbeutel.
At the checkout, he pulled out his wallet.
Context clue
You can often recognize the figurative meaning 'Budget' (budget) from verbs like 'schonen' (to spare), 'belasten' (to strain/burden), or 'sprengen' (to exceed/blow). These describe the effect of costs on financial means.
EXAMPLE
Ein neues Auto würde unseren Geldbeutel zu sehr belasten.
A new car would strain our budget too much.
Fixed expressions
In the figurative sense, there are fixed expressions such as 'tief in den Geldbeutel greifen müssen' (to have to pay a lot) or 'ein Loch in den Geldbeutel reißen' (to cause unexpectedly high costs).
EXAMPLE
Für die Reparatur des Daches mussten wir tief in den Geldbeutel greifen.
We had to dig deep into our pockets for the roof repair.
Compare with
Geldbeutel vs Portemonnaie
wallet
Geldbeutel and Portemonnaie both refer here to the same small container for money, cards, and IDs. There is no necessary difference between the objects; the choice depends mainly on regional and personal language habits.
Geldbeutel
Ich habe meinen Geldbeutel mit Bargeld und Karten zu Hause vergessen.
I forgot my wallet with cash and cards at home.
Portemonnaie
Ich habe mein Portemonnaie mit Bargeld und Karten zu Hause vergessen.
I forgot my wallet with cash and cards at home.
In real life
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