German abbreviations: the decoder ring

The survival glossary: rental-ad codes (2ZKB, NK, KT), payslip lines (LSt, SV), officialese (AB, Az, gez.) and everyday shorthand (ggf., bzw., z.B.) translated.

Last updated: July 13, 2026

What do common German abbreviations mean?

The high-frequency set: bzw. (respectively/or rather), ggf. (if applicable), z.B. (for example), inkl./zzgl. (including/plus), MwSt. (VAT). Rental ads: 2ZKB = 2 rooms + kitchen + bath, KM/NK = cold rent/utilities, KT = deposit. Payslips: LSt = income tax, SV = social insurance. Bookmark this page; Germany writes in code.

What this guide covers

Rental-ad code (the apartment-hunting cipher)Payslip and money lines (the salary guide's sidekick)Officialese (letters from the Amt - bureaucracy guide)Everyday shorthand

Rental-ad code (the apartment-hunting cipher)

Code	Meaning
2ZKB / 3ZKBB	2 rooms-kitchen-bath / +Balkon (ROOMS not bedrooms - the living room counts!)
KM / WM / NK	Kaltmiete / Warmmiete / Nebenkosten (guide)
KT / MMKT	Kaution / Monatsmieten deposit multiple
EBK	Einbauküche - fitted kitchen INCLUDED (celebrate)
DG / EG / OG / UG	Attic / ground / upper / basement floor
Altbau / Neubau	Pre-war charm+drafts / post-war+modern
WBS	Subsidized-housing certificate required
n.V. / ab sofort	By arrangement / immediately
provisionsfrei	No agent commission
möbl. / teilmöbl.	Furnished / partly

Payslip and money lines (the salary guide's sidekick)

LSt (Lohnsteuer - income tax), KiSt (church tax - guide), SolZ (solidarity surcharge), KV/RV/AV/PV (health/pension/unemployment/care insurance - the SV quartet), SV-Nr. (social insurance number - guard it), AG/AN (employer/employee), brutto/netto (the eternal pair), VWL (savings-plan benefit), bAV (company pension), IBAN-Gehalt jokes aside: MwSt./USt. (VAT 19%/7%), zzgl./inkl. (plus/including - the price-tag gotcha), UVP (RRP), i.H.v. (in the amount of).

Officialese (letters from the Amt - bureaucracy guide)

Az. (file number - QUOTE IT in every reply), AB (Anrufbeantworter or Aufenthaltsbescheinigung by context), gez. (signed), i.A./i.V. (on behalf/deputizing), s.o./s.u. (see above/below), Anlage(n) (attachments), Frist (DEADLINE - the word that matters), Bescheid (official decision - appealable, guide), StNr./IdNr. (tax number vs tax-ID - different! tax guide), BAMF/BMI/KVR/LEA (the agency alphabet per city).

Everyday shorthand

bzw. (beziehungsweise), ggf. (gegebenenfalls), evtl. (maybe), usw. (etc.), d.h. (that is), u.a. (among others), ca. (approx.), bzgl. (regarding), mfg/MfG (the email sign-off), LG/VG (casual regards), z.Hd. (attention of), c/o survives, and the WhatsApp-era vlt/vllt (vielleicht) that no course teaches).

Frequently asked questions

Rooms vs bedrooms seriously?

A German "3-Zimmer" = 2 bedrooms + living room. Recalibrate every listing (hunting guide).

StNr vs Steuer-ID?

The eternal-personal 11-digit IdNr vs the office-assigned business/filing StNr - forms want specific ones (tax guide).

What's "TG-Stellplatz"?

Tiefgarage parking spot - rented separately, €50-150/month in cities (car guide).

"3 MMKT provisionsfrei ab sofort 2ZKB EBK DG"?

Three-month deposit, no commission, immediately available two-room attic flat with fitted kitchen - you're fluent now.

Related guides

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