Today's words · 🛡️ Insurance
Insurance German in 10 words
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Germans love insurance — so sooner or later, a letter from an insurer will land in your letterbox.
Right after I found a flat in Germany, a friend asked, “Do you have Haftpflicht?” When I asked what that was, she looked genuinely shocked. That's when I realised insurance words really matter here.
Today's ten words take you from signing up to reporting damage. With them, insurance contracts and letters will feel a lot less scary. 🛡️
📋 The ten words at a glance
- die Versicherung — insurance; insurance company
- versichern — to insure; to assure
- die Haftpflichtversicherung — personal liability insurance
- der Vertrag — contract; agreement
- der Schaden — damage, harm
- versichert — insured
- die Hausratversicherung — household contents insurance
- der Versicherungsbeitrag — insurance premium
- die Selbstbeteiligung — excess, deductible
- die Schadensmeldung — claim report, damage report
🧠 Words, examples and memory tricks
die Versicherung
[fair-ZIKH-er-oong]insurance; insurance company(Pl. die Versicherungen)
📌 Die Versicherung bezahlt den Schaden.
→ The insurance pays for the damage.
💡 sicher (safe) is inside 🛡️ Insurance keeps you safe — and -ung makes it die.
Bonus The insurance company itself is also called die Versicherung.
versichern
[fair-ZIKH-ern]to insure; to assure(versichert – hat versichert)
📌 Ist dein Fahrrad gegen Diebstahl versichert?
→ Is your bike insured against theft?
💡 ver- + sicher = to make safe or sure 🔒 So it means both ‘to insure’ and ‘to assure’.
Bonus Ich versichere dir, … = I promise you, …
die Haftpflichtversicherung
[HAFT-pflikht-fair-zikh-er-oong]personal liability insurance(Pl. die Haftpflichtversicherungen)
📌 Die Haftpflichtversicherung zahlt, wenn man aus Versehen fremdes Eigentum beschädigt.
→ Liability insurance pays if you accidentally damage someone else's property.
💡 Haft (liability) + Pflicht (duty) + Versicherung 🧩 Chop a long word into pieces and it's easy.
Bonus People usually just say Haftpflicht.
der Vertrag
[fair-TRAHK]contract; agreement(Pl. die Verträge)
📌 Bitte lesen Sie den Vertrag genau, bevor Sie unterschreiben.
→ Please read the contract carefully before you sign.
💡 From vertragen, to get along 🤝 A contract is what both sides agree on.
⚠ The plural takes an umlaut: die Verträge.
der Schaden
[SHAH-den]damage, harm(Pl. die Schäden)
📌 Der Sturm hat großen Schaden verursacht.
→ The storm caused a lot of damage.
💡 Related to old English scathe, as in unscathed 💥 Something breaks? Schaden!
Bonus Schade! (What a shame!) comes from the same root.
versichert
[fair-ZIKH-ert]insured📌 Sind Sie gesetzlich oder privat versichert?
→ Do you have statutory or private health insurance?
💡 Past participle of versichern = insured ✅ A classic question at the doctor's reception.
Bonus Wie sind Sie versichert? – Gesetzlich. / Privat.
die Hausratversicherung
[HOWS-raht-fair-zikh-er-oong]household contents insurance(Pl. die Hausratversicherungen)
📌 Nach dem Einbruch hat die Hausratversicherung den gestohlenen Laptop ersetzt.
→ After the burglary, the contents insurance replaced the stolen laptop.
💡 Haus (house) + Rat (supplies) = everything in your home 🛋️ This insurance protects it.
Bonus It typically covers burglary, fire and burst pipes.
der Versicherungsbeitrag
[fair-ZIKH-er-oongs-bye-trahk]insurance premium(Pl. die Versicherungsbeiträge)
📌 Der Versicherungsbeitrag wird jeden Monat automatisch abgebucht.
→ The insurance premium is debited automatically every month.
💡 Beitrag = your contribution 💶 What you chip in every month is your premium.
⚠ The last part decides: der Beitrag, so it's der. Plural: die Versicherungsbeiträge.
die Selbstbeteiligung
[ZELPST-buh-tile-ig-oong]excess, deductible(Pl. die Selbstbeteiligungen)
📌 Bei diesem Tarif beträgt die Selbstbeteiligung 300 Euro pro Schaden.
→ With this plan, the excess is 300 euros per claim.
💡 selbst (self) + Beteiligung (share) = the part you pay yourself 🙋 -ung, so die.
Bonus ohne Selbstbeteiligung = with no excess
die Schadensmeldung
[SHAH-dens-mel-doong]claim report, damage report(Pl. die Schadensmeldungen)
📌 Die Schadensmeldung kann man online bei der Versicherung ausfüllen.
→ You can fill in the claim form online with the insurer.
💡 Schaden (damage) + melden (to report) = damage report 📝 The first thing you do after an accident.
Bonus einen Schaden melden = to report damage
🇩🇪 A spoonful of German culture
Health insurance (Krankenversicherung) is compulsory in Germany. Personal liability insurance (Haftpflichtversicherung) isn't, but almost everyone has it. It pays if you accidentally damage someone else's things, which is why landlords and friends sometimes ask about it.
Insurance contracts usually renew automatically. If you want to leave, you have to cancel (kündigen) in time, and the notice period depends on the contract. Look for the Kündigungsfrist in the small print. 📄
✅ Quick quiz
Q. At the doctor's reception you're asked, “Wie sind Sie versichert?” What do you answer?
- ① Ich habe einen Schaden.
- ② Die Selbstbeteiligung ist hoch.
- ③ Ich bin gesetzlich versichert.
Show the answer
③ Ich bin gesetzlich versichert.
They're asking how you're insured, so ‘I have statutory health insurance’ is the answer.
Try saying one sentence in German about each insurance you have: Ich bin … versichert! 📋
🔜 Tomorrow's topic: 🩺 Health insurance & GP