01
der Haushalt
household
The entirety of the people who live together in an apartment or house and form an economic unit.
example
In unserem Haushalt leben vier Personen.
Four people live in our household.
der Haushalt
household / budget
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Compound word
'Haushalt' is made up of 'Haus' (house) and 'Halt'. The word part 'Halt' is related to the verb 'halten' (to hold) and here means something like 'management' or 'organization'. A Haushalt is therefore the organization of a house or system.
EXAMPLE
Ein gut organisierter Haushalt spart Zeit und Geld.
A well-organized household saves time and money.
Typical collocations
When referring to the people living together, 'Haushalt' (household) is often combined with numbers or size descriptions, e.g. 'Ein-Personen-Haushalt' (single-person household), 'Mehrpersonen-Haushalt' (multi-person household), or 'kinderloser Haushalt' (childless household).
EXAMPLE
In Deutschland gibt es immer mehr Ein-Personen-Haushalte.
There are more and more single-person households in Germany.
Typical verbs
To describe housework, 'Haushalt' is often combined with the verbs 'machen' (to do) or 'führen' (to run). The expression 'den Haushalt schmeißen' (to run the household) is also colloquial and very common.
EXAMPLE
Wer schmeißt bei euch zu Hause den Haushalt?
Who runs the household at your place?
Political context clue
You can recognize the meaning 'Budget' (budget) from the context. When politics, the state, finances, or a government are being discussed, it almost always means the public financial plan.
EXAMPLE
Die Ministerin verteidigte ihren Entwurf für den Haushalt.
The minister defended her draft of the budget.
Scientific context clue
In scientific texts, especially in biology or medicine, 'Haushalt' (balance) refers to a system in equilibrium. It is then usually part of compounds such as 'Wasserhaushalt' (water balance), 'Energiehaushalt' (energy balance), or 'Säure-Basen-Haushalt' (acid-base balance).
EXAMPLE
Sportler müssen auf ihren Elektrolythaushalt achten.
Athletes have to pay attention to their electrolyte balance.
Compare with
Haushalt vs Familie
family
'die Familie' and 'der Haushalt' can both refer to people who live together. The difference is in the perspective: 'Familie' emphasizes kinship, while 'Haushalt' emphasizes living together and managing daily life in an apartment or house. In a 'Haushalt', the people do not have to be related, for example in a shared apartment. In addition, 'Haushalt' can also mean the work done at home, such as cleaning, cooking, and washing. The words are confused when talking about parents and children who live together. For the relationship, you say 'Familie'; for the shared home or housework, 'Haushalt' is more appropriate.
Haushalt
In unserem Haushalt leben drei Personen, aber wir sind nicht alle verwandt.
Three people live in our household, but we are not all related.
Familie
Für meine Familie koche ich heute Abend eine Suppe.
I'm cooking soup for my family tonight.
In real life
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