German word

sparen

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈʃpaːʁən/

Meaning

  • verbsave

Example

Wir sparen Strom.

We save electricity.

Illustration for sparen (save)

More examples

Viele Leute sparen beim Einkauf durch Rabatte.

Many people save money when shopping by using discounts.

Core concept

Part of a household's resources stays untouched, leaving a growing reserve for later.

Common phrases

  • beim Einkauf sparen

    save money when shopping

  • Zeit sparen

    save time

  • Geld sparen

    save money

Similar words

ansparen: To build up savings gradually for a particular purpose.
beiseitelegen: To put money away separately for future use.
anlegen: To invest money to increase it through interest or other returns.

Definition in German

Wenig ausgeben, damit sich Erspartes oder Vorräte ansammeln.

Word origin

Sparen comes from Middle High German sparen and Old High German sparon, a Germanic verb meaning to spare or preserve that developed the financial sense of saving.

Usage tips

  • Sparen für + accusative names the goal, as in für ein Haus sparen.

Other meanings

  • save upverb
  • save moneyverb

Opposites

Related words

  • Sparersavernoun
  • Sparbuchsavings passbooknoun
  • Sparsamkeitfrugalitynoun

Word lists with this word