property / real estate
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property
Immovable property, especially a plot of land or a building such as a house or apartment. Often used in the plural to refer to all ownership of land and buildings.
Er hat sein Geld in eine Immobilie am Stadtrand investiert.
He invested his money in a property on the outskirts of the city.
The word comes from the Latin adjective 'immobilis', which means 'immovable'. An 'Immobilie' (property/real estate) is therefore a possession that cannot be moved, such as a house or a plot of land.
Immobilien gelten als eine stabile Form der Geldanlage.
Real estate is considered a stable form of investment.
'Immobilie' (property/real estate) is a formal term used mainly in business, legal, and financial language. It sounds more professional and broader than just 'Haus' (house) or 'Wohnung' (apartment).
Der Makler hat uns mehrere interessante Immobilien gezeigt.
The real estate agent showed us several interesting properties.
Common verbs used with 'Immobilie' are 'eine Immobilie kaufen' (to buy a property), 'verkaufen' (to sell), 'besitzen' (to own), or 'in eine Immobilie investieren' (to invest in a property).
Sie möchten eine Immobilie als Kapitalanlage kaufen.
They would like to buy a property as a capital investment.
The plural 'Immobilien' is often used to refer to the entire sector or asset class 'real estate', not just several individual buildings.
Er arbeitet in der Immobilienbranche.
He works in the real estate industry.
apartment
'Wohnung' and 'Immobilie' can both refer to something connected with living or housing. However, a 'Wohnung' is specifically the place where someone lives: several rooms in a building. 'Immobilie' is broader and sounds more businesslike. It means a plot of land, a house, or also an apartment, especially when the topic is ownership, buying, selling, or money. Learners may confuse the words because an apartment can also be a property. In everyday language, though, people usually say 'Wohnung' when talking about their own home.
Mein Onkel möchte eine Immobilie kaufen und später vermieten.
My uncle wants to buy a property and rent it out later.
Meine Wohnung hat zwei Zimmer und einen kleinen Balkon.
My apartment has two rooms and a small balcony.