heilen
/ˈhaɪ̯lən/
The German verb for 'heal' is heilen.
heilen is used to describe the process of making something better, specifically regarding physical wounds or injuries healing naturally. You can also use it transitively, such as in jemanden heilen, which implies a healer or a doctor is curing a person.
Meaning: make better (verb)
Which one should you use?
When referring to a wound or injury healing naturally, use heilen. If you use heilen transitively (for example, to cure a person), it implies the active intervention of a doctor or healer.
How does it change in a sentence?
The third-person singular present form is heilt, and the past participle is geheilt.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈhaɪ̯lən/
Did you know?
- In German, the word heilig means 'holy' or 'sacred'. This reveals that, historically, to 'heal' someone was seen as a way of making them spiritually whole or sacred.
- While heilen is used for wounds, if you want to talk about a person 'recovering' from an illness like the flu, Germans often use the verb genesen instead.
- The German verb heilen shares its DNA with the English word 'whole'. Both words stem from an ancient root meaning to make something complete or undamaged.
Examples in context
- Eine Verstauchung wie diese sollte in etwa einer Woche heilen.A sprain like this should heal within a week or so.This sentence shows how to use heilen regarding a sprain.Tatoeba #2056109 by Sirio60, translation #57775 by CK
- Bei älteren Menschen brauchen Verletzungen länger um zu heilen.In older people, wounds take a long time to heal.This sentence illustrates the use of heilen in the context of wounds in older people.Tatoeba #682631 by al_ex_an_der, translation #682492 by Source_VOA
- Eine Verstauchung, wie diese da, müsste in weniger als einer Woche heilen.A sprain like this should heal in less than a week.This sentence uses heilen to describe the healing time for a sprain.Tatoeba #764855 by Esperantostern, translation #12493228 by sundown
- Er ist von seiner Verletzung vollständig genesenHe has fully recovered from his injury
- Ich hoffe, dass du bald wieder gesund wirstI hope you get well soon
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Laura and Felix are talking about a small cut on Felix's hand.
- LauraDeine Wunde sieht nicht gut aus.Your wound does not look good.
- FelixSie wird bestimmt bald heilen.It will surely heal soon.
- LauraIch hoffe, dass sie schnell heilt.I hope that it heals quickly.
- FelixKeine Sorge, ich bin vorsichtig.Don't worry, I am being careful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “heal” translations and entries heilen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries heilen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
