A circuit device has a power converter, which includes power semiconductor switches and a capacitor which is connected to a first and a second intermediate circuit conductor in an electrically conductive manner, and having a capacitor discharge device for the electrical discharging of the capacitor. The capacitor discharge device includes an actuation device, an electrical discharge resistor and a first semiconductor switch having a first and a second load current terminal, and having a control terminal. The first load current terminal of the first semiconductor switch is connected to the first intermediate circuit conductor via the discharge resistor, and the second load current terminal of the first semiconductor switch connects to the second intermediate circuit conductor. The actuation device on the control terminal of the first semiconductor switch generates an actuating voltage, in accordance with a control signal, for the closing and opening of the first semiconductor switch, and having a capacitor discharge monitoring device, which is designed to monitor an electric monitoring voltage which is present between the first load current terminal of the first semiconductor switch and the second intermediate circuit conductor and, in the event that the monitoring voltage is lower than a monitoring voltage limiting value, to generate a capacitor discharge signal.