gestorben
/ɡəˈʃtɔʁbən/
The English phrase "died" is translated into German as gestorben.
gestorben is used to describe the state of having stopped living.
Which one should you use?
While gestorben is the standard word, verstorben is a more formal and euphemistic term, similar to the English "passed away," which is often used in obituaries or when speaking politely about a death. For written narratives or news reports, the simple past form starb is commonly used.
How does it change in a sentence?
To form the perfect tense (has died / died), the past participle gestorben is used with the auxiliary verb sein (such as ist) rather than haben (such as hat). For the simple past (Präteritum), the form is starb.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡəˈʃtɔʁbən/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Abkratzen is an informal expression for 'died'.
Did you know?
- The slang term abkratzen literally means 'to scratch off'. It evokes the image of someone scratching their last breath or scraping against the bottom of a pot.
- In German, you do not 'die of' a disease using the word von. Instead, you use an (at/on), as in an einer Krankheit sterben.
- The euphemism verstorben comes from the prefix ver-, which often indicates a process of completion or disappearing. It literally suggests someone has 'passed beyond' the living.
Examples in context
- Er ist jung gestorben.He died at a young age.This sentence is useful for showing how to use gestorben to describe the age at which someone died.Tatoeba #7712522 by wolfgangth, translation #6282530 by Hybrid
- Tom ist arm gestorben.Tom died a pauper.This sentence is useful for showing how to use gestorben to describe the financial state of someone at the time of death.Tatoeba #8282349 by Luiaard, translation #7733900 by CK
- Er ist dort gestorben.He died there.This sentence is useful for showing how to use gestorben to indicate a location where someone died.Tatoeba #9985214 by wolfgangth, translation #8476839 by CH
- Er ist gestorbenHe died
- Sie ist verstorbenShe died
- Er ist abgekratztHe kicked the bucket
- Sie ist dahingegangenShe passed away
- Mein herzliches Beileid. Ihr Vater ist gestorben.My heartfelt condolences. Your father has died.
- 395 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a distant relative at a cafe.
- HannahIst dein Großvater schon gestorben?Has your grandfather already died?
- MaximilianJa, er ist letztes Jahr gestorben.Yes, he died last year.
- HannahDas tut mir sehr leid.I am very sorry to hear that.
- MaximilianDanke, Hannah. Er war ein guter Mann.Thanks, Hannah. He was a good man.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry gestorben, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
