livelihood
Loading your saved state.
livelihood
The financial means a person needs to cover basic needs such as food, clothing, and housing. It is mostly used in the context of earning these means.
Mit ihrer Arbeit als Lehrerin verdient sie den Lebensunterhalt für ihre Familie.
With her work as a teacher, she earns a livelihood for her family.
This word is composed of 'Leben' (life) and 'Unterhalt' (maintenance/support). 'Unterhalt' means 'financial support'. Literally, it describes the means one needs in order to live.
Er muss hart arbeiten, um den Unterhalt für sich und seine Kinder zu sichern.
He has to work hard to secure support for himself and his children.
'Lebensunterhalt' (livelihood) is almost always combined with certain verbs. The most common are 'seinen Lebensunterhalt verdienen' (to earn one's livelihood), 'seinen Lebensunterhalt bestreiten' (to make/cover one's living), and 'für seinen Lebensunterhalt aufkommen' (to provide for one's livelihood).
Als Student musste er seinen Lebensunterhalt mit einem Nebenjob bestreiten.
As a student, he had to cover his living expenses with a part-time job.
The word 'Lebensunterhalt' (livelihood) belongs to standard German and is often used in formal or official contexts, for example at government offices or in contracts.
Um die Sozialleistung zu bekommen, musste sie nachweisen, dass sie ihren Lebensunterhalt nicht selbst decken kann.
To receive the social benefit, she had to prove that she could not cover her living expenses herself.
income
Einkommen refers to the money that a person or household earns over a period of time. Lebensunterhalt refers to the financial means needed for basic needs such as housing, food, and clothing. Einkommen therefore describes the earnings, while Lebensunterhalt describes the needs that those earnings must cover.
Anna braucht monatlich tausendfünfhundert Euro für ihren Lebensunterhalt.
Anna needs one thousand five hundred euros a month for her living expenses.
Annas monatliches Einkommen aus ihrer Arbeit beträgt zweitausend Euro.
Anna's monthly income from her work is two thousand euros.
