Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| sterben | /ˈʃtɛrbən/ |
| umkommen | /ˈʊmˌkɔmən/ |
| versterben | /feʁˈʃtɛʁbən/ |
| ums Leben kommen |
The primary way to express the act of stopping living is with sterben. Other expressions exist depending on the context: ums Leben kommen is used to report that someone lost their life in a specific event, while umkommen describes dying suddenly or violently, such as in accidents, wars or disasters.
Which one should you use?
While sterben is the general term for dying, umkommen is used specifically for deaths caused by accidents, disasters or war. The phrase ums Leben kommen is an idiomatic way to report that someone died during a specific accident or event, which is common in news reporting.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When forming the perfect tense with sterben, you must use the auxiliary verb sein (to be) instead of haben (to have). For example, instead of saying someone 'has died' with a form of 'to have', you would use the construction ist gestorben.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʃtɛrbən/
Did you know?
- The German word sterben is a linguistic relative of the English word 'starve'.
- While sterben is the general word for dying, versterben is a more formal and euphemistic version often found in official documents.
Examples in context
- Ich sah Tom sterben.I saw Tom die.This sentence shows the use of sterben to describe witnessing a death.Tatoeba #7451692 by Yorwba, translation #2261979 by CK
- Ich liege im Sterben.I'm about to die.Tatoeba #2169178 by Vortarulo, translation #1202147 by CM
- Er wird bald sterben.He is about to die.This sentence demonstrates the use of sterben to express that someone will die soon.Tatoeba #12468356 by mayabe, translation #1829476 by Spamster
- Er ist gestorbenHe died
- Sie sterben an KrebsThey are dying of cancer
- Der Patient ist friedlich abgelebtThe patient passed away peacefully
- Ihre Seele ist dahingeschiedenHer soul has departed
- Ich krepier vor HungerI'm starving
- Er ist an seinem eigenen Witz abgekratztHe died laughing at his own joke
- 424 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a character in a novel they are both reading.
- SarahWarum muss dieser Charakter sterben?Why does this character have to die?
- LukasEs ist leider Teil der Geschichte.Unfortunately, it is part of the story.
- SarahDas ist wirklich sehr traurig.That is really very sad.
- LukasJa, ich war auch sehr traurig.Yes, I was very sad too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “die” translations and entries sterben, umkommen, versterben, ums Leben kommen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Leben, kommen, leben, sterben, umkommen, versterben, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
