German Growth & Decline Vocabulary List
This set covers the language of things going up, down, or changing size: die Zunahme, der Rückgang, and vergrößern are the core building blocks. English speakers often assume one word will do for "increase" in German, but this list shows German splits it by cause and context: Anstieg suggests a rise like a graph line, Steigerung implies deliberate boosting, and Zunahme is just neutral growth in amount.
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Learn these 14 words
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All 14 words
plural: die Abnahmen
decrease
Die Abnahme der Gewinne ist besorgniserregend. — The decrease in profits is worrying.
plural: die Anstiege
rise/increase
Der Anstieg der Preise überrascht viele. — The rise in prices surprises many.
plural: die Ausbauten
expansion
Der Ausbau des Netzes dauert lange. — The expansion of the network takes a long time.
plural: die Erweiterungen
expansion
Die Erweiterung der Firma kostet viel Geld. — The expansion of the company costs a lot of money.
plural: die Reduzierungen
reduction
Die Reduzierung der Mitarbeiterzahl schockierte alle. — The reduction in staff shocked everyone.
plural: die Rückgänge
decline/decrease
Der Rückgang der Verkäufe besorgt uns. — The decline in sales worries us.
to shrink
Die Wirtschaft schrumpft in diesem Quartal. — The economy is shrinking this quarter.
to enlarge/expand
Das Unternehmen will seinen Marktanteil vergrößern. — The company wants to expand its market share.
plural: die Verringerungen
reduction
Die Verringerung der Kosten war notwendig. — The reduction of costs was necessary.
- wachsenB1
grow, increase
Mein Sohn ist sehr gewachsen. Er ist jetzt schon größer als ich. — My son has grown a lot. He is already taller than me.
plural: die Niedergänge
decline
Der Niedergang des Reiches begann im dritten Jahrhundert. — The decline of the empire began in the third century.
plural: die Steigerungen
an increase
Die Steigerung der Verkaufszahlen freut den Manager. — The increase in sales figures pleases the manager.
- gedeihenC1
to thrive / flourish / develop / progress
Die Pflanze gedeiht in diesem Klima. — The plant thrives in this climate.
plural: die Kumulationen
accumulation / build-up
Die Kumulation von Schulden führte zur Krise. — The accumulation of debt led to the crisis.
How to learn this set
Notice that the four action verbs here, wachsen, schrumpfen, verringern, and vergrößern, each have a matching noun cousin you already know from this list: Zunahme, Rückgang, Verringerung, and Erweiterung. Drill them in verb-noun pairs instead of as a flat list, since that's how they actually appear in German news and reports. Also watch der Ausbau and der Anstieg, both masculine and both built on strong root verbs (bauen, steigen), which is a useful pattern for guessing gender on similar compounds later. Gedeihen and Kumulation are rarer, so save them for last and focus your first passes on the six B1 noun/verb pairs.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Zunahme and Anstieg?
Both mean increase, and they overlap a lot. Anstieg leans on the idea of a rise or climb (from steigen, to climb), so it fits graphs, temperatures, prices going up. Zunahme is the more neutral, general word for an increase in amount, used for anything from population to weight.
What is the difference between Rückgang and Niedergang?
Rückgang is a decrease or decline in numbers, like sales or population, and is fairly neutral. Niedergang is stronger and means downfall or decline in a broader, often irreversible sense, used for empires, industries, or someone's health.
Is Ausbau the same as Erweiterung?
They both translate as expansion but Ausbau usually means expanding or developing something structural, like a network, a road, or a business. Erweiterung is broader and fits abstract expansion too, like extending a contract or widening a definition.
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