account balance
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account balance
The current amount of money in a bank account. It indicates how much money is available (credit balance) or how high the debts are (debit balance).
Ich überprüfe meinen Kontostand jeden Morgen online, bevor ich zur Arbeit gehe.
I check my account balance online every morning before I go to work.
The word is made up of 'Konto' (account), the linking -s, and 'Stand' (status/standing). So it literally describes the 'Stand' (current situation) of your bank account.
Ein schneller Blick auf den Kontostand zeigte, dass genug Geld für den Einkauf da war.
A quick look at the account balance showed that there was enough money for the shopping.
In everyday life, 'Kontostand' (account balance) is often used with certain verbs. You can 'abfragen' (check/request), 'überprüfen' (check), or 'prüfen' (check) your account balance.
Kannst du bitte kurz deinen Kontostand abfragen?
Could you quickly check your account balance, please?
To describe the state of the account, people often use the expressions 'im Plus sein' (to be in credit) or 'im Minus sein' (to be overdrawn/in debt). The account balance can also be 'hoch' (high) or 'niedrig' (low).
Am Ende des Monats ist mein Kontostand leider oft im Minus.
At the end of the month, my account balance is unfortunately often in the negative.
credit / balance
'Guthaben' and 'Kontostand' both have to do with money in an account. 'Kontostand' means the current amount in a bank account. It can be positive, but also negative if you owe money on the account. 'Guthaben', on the other hand, means only a positive amount that you can use. In addition, 'Guthaben' can also refer to a prepaid card, an app, or the value of a voucher. Learners may confuse the words because a positive 'Kontostand' is a 'Guthaben'. In practice: for the current state of a bank account, you say 'Kontostand'; for available credit or stored value, you say 'Guthaben'.
Vor der Miete prüft Lena ihren Kontostand in der Banking-App.
Before paying the rent, Lena checks her account balance in the banking app.
Auf meiner Prepaid-Karte ist noch genug Guthaben für einen Anruf.
There is still enough credit on my prepaid card for a call.