How do you say debt in German?

It’s what weighs on your wallet, hangs over your head, or binds you to an IOU. In German, it’s die Schulden. This is your German Word of the Day - heavy, serious, and essential for talking about money, responsibility, and sometimes even guilt.

The noun Schulden means debts, and it’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German. In everyday German, debt is usually expressed with the plural Schulden. The singular die Schuld commonly means guilt or fault, but can also mean a financial debt: eine Schuld begleichen means to settle a debt.

It’s the plural of the feminine noun die Schuld, so we say die Schulden (want to understand gender and plural quirks like this one? Our video lesson helps you sort it out clearly and quickly).

Pronunciation

Schulden is pronounced [SHUL-den]

• Schul - short u, as in “full” (not the long “oo” of “cool”)

• den like “den” (as in den of thieves)

• Stress on the first syllable: SCHULden

Example sentences

• Er hat viele Schulden bei der Bank.He has a lot of debt with the bank.

• Die Schulden wachsen jeden Monat.The debts grow every month.

• Ich muss meine Schulden endlich zurückzahlen.I need to finally pay back my debts.

Nuance and usage tips

💸 Schulden usually refers to money you owe. The verb is schulden: Du schuldest mir zehn Euro (You owe me ten euros). It’s one of the most common words in news articles, legal documents, and everyday budgeting talk.

📊 Common types of debt:

• Staatsschulden - national debt

• Privatschulden - personal debt

• Steuerschulden - tax debt

• Kreditschulden - loan debt

• Schuldenberg - mountain of debt (figurative)

• Schuldenfalle - debt trap

💬 Useful expressions:

• Schulden machen - to get into debt

• in Schulden geraten - to fall into debt

• Schulden abbauen / tilgen / zurückzahlen - to reduce / repay debt

• hohe Schulden haben - to be heavily in debt

💡 Don’t confuse with:

• die Schuld (singular) - guilt or fault→ “Es ist meine Schuld.” - It’s my fault.→ “Ich trage keine Schuld.” - I bear no guilt.

But the two are historically related - and this dual meaning still shapes German thinking. Owing money and owing responsibility both fall under “Schuld(en)”.