Der Zins steigt langsam.

The interest rate rises slowly.

Breakdown of Der Zins steigt langsam.

• langsam: slowly
• steigen: to rise
• der Zins: the interest rate

Questions & Answers about Der Zins steigt langsam.

What does the article der tell me in Der Zins?

It shows that Zins is masculine and in the nominative case as the sentence’s subject. The full singular paradigm is:

• Nominative: der Zins (subject)
• Accusative: den Zins
• Dative: dem Zins
• Genitive: des Zinses

Why is it singular Der Zins here? Can I also say Die Zinsen steigen langsam?

Both occur, but you’ll hear the plural much more often in real-life finance talk:

• Der Zins (singular) can refer to an individual interest rate or “the interest rate level” as a concept.
• Die Zinsen (plural) is the typical way to talk about interest rates in general. So, Die Zinsen steigen is very idiomatic in news and economics, while Der Zins steigt is also correct, somewhat more technical or abstract.

Is Zins the same as Zinssatz?

Not exactly:

• Zinssatz is the specific rate (the percentage), e.g., Der Zinssatz liegt bei 4,5 %.
• Zins/Zinsen can mean the interest as money paid/received, or—by extension—the level of interest rates. In careful writing, use Zinssatz when you mean the exact percentage.

Is Zins related to Interesse (as in being curious)?

No. Zins/Zinsen is financial interest. Interesse is interest in the sense of curiosity or concern. Don’t mix them up:

• Financial: Die Zinsen sind gestiegen.
• Curiosity: Ich habe Interesse an Wirtschaft.

What verb is steigt from, and how is it used?

It’s from steigen (to rise/increase). Key points:

• Present: ich steige, du steigst, er/sie/es steigt
• Simple past: stieg
• Perfect: ist gestiegen (takes sein)
• It’s intransitive (no direct object): Die Zinsen steigen. To express that someone actively raises something, use a transitive verb like erhöhen/anheben:
• Die Zentralbank erhöht die Zinsen.
• Not: ❌ Die Zentralbank steigt die Zinsen.

Why is German using simple present (steigt) for an ongoing action?

Standard German doesn’t need a special progressive form. Der Zins steigt naturally covers English “is rising.” You may see ist am Steigen (colloquial/regional) or im Steigen begriffen (formal), but the simple present is the safest and most common choice.

Where should langsam go in the sentence? Are other positions possible?

Common and neutral: Der Zins steigt langsam.
To emphasize the manner, you can front it: Langsam steigt der Zins.
Don’t split subject and verb awkwardly as ❌ Der Zins langsam steigt in main clauses. You can also add focus words:

• Der Zins steigt nur langsam. (only slowly)
• Der Zins steigt sehr langsam. (very slowly)

Does langsam need an ending here?

No. As an adverb modifying a verb, langsam has no ending: steigt langsam.
As an attributive adjective before a noun, it takes endings:

• ein langsamer Anstieg
• der langsame Anstieg

How do I pronounce the words?

• Zins: initial z = ts sound, like “tsins.”
• steigt: ei = “eye”; initial st at word start is pronounced like “sht”: roughly “sht-ight” ([ʃtaɪkt]).
• langsam: ng as in “sing”; the s is voiced here, so it sounds like “lang-zahm.”

What are some useful case forms with examples for Zins?

• Nominative: Der Zins steigt.
• Accusative: Die Bank senkt den Zins. (you’ll also hear den Zinssatz)
• Dative: Mit dem Zins ist derzeit vorsichtig umzugehen.
• Genitive: Wegen des Zinses verschieben viele den Kauf.
  In everyday usage, many of these contexts prefer the plural Zinsen: Die Bank senkt die Zinsen.

Could I use other words instead of langsam?

Yes, with slightly different nuances:

• allmählich = gradually (smooth, over time): Der Zins steigt allmählich.
• nach und nach = little by little: Der Zins steigt nach und nach.
• schrittweise = step by step (often in planned increments): Der Zins steigt schrittweise.

Is ansteigen a good alternative to steigen here?

Yes. Der Zins steigt langsam an is common. Nuance:

• steigen = increase, rise (general).
• ansteigen = rise (often numbers/levels), sometimes a bit more technical or process-oriented. Both work well; your original is perfectly natural.

Could I say Der Zins wächst langsam?

It’s understandable, but not idiomatic. wachsen fits better with things that grow organically (plants, the economy: Die Wirtschaft wächst). For prices, rates, temperatures, etc., use steigen/ansteigen or zunehmen:

• Der Zins nimmt langsam zu. (also good)

Why is Zins capitalized but langsam is not?

All nouns are capitalized in German, so Zins is capitalized. langsam is an adverb here (and adjectives/adverbs are lowercase unless they’re at the start of a sentence or part of a proper noun).