Midlife-Crisis
The English phrase "midlife crisis" is translated into German as Midlife-Crisis.
This phrase describes a period of emotional turmoil and anxiety that some people experience in middle age.
Which one should you use?
While Midlife-Crisis is a direct loanword from English used in both formal and informal contexts, you may encounter more descriptive German-specific phrases like Die Lebenskrise im mittleren Alter or Die Krise der mittleren Lebensjahre in formal settings.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun is feminine because the German word for crisis, Krise, is feminine. Therefore, you would say die Midlife-Crisis to mean "the midlife crisis". The plural form of the phrase is Midlife-Krisen.
Did you know?
- In German culture, the stereotypical 'solution' to a Midlife-Crisis is often jokingly associated with buying a Cabriolet or a flashy sports car, mirroring the English trope but with a specific obsession for open-top cars.
- While Germans use the English term Midlife-Crisis, they often pair it with the verb haben to describe the state, whereas they might use durchmachen to describe the actual process of enduring the crisis.
- The German word Krise shares a root with the English 'crisis', but in German, it is frequently used in the compound Lebenskrise to describe any major turning point in life, not just those occurring in middle age.
Examples in context
- Wie geht es ihm? Er scheint gerade in der Midlife-Crisis zu sein.How is he doing? He seems to be in the midst of a midlife crisis.
- Er steckt mitten in einer Midlife-Crisis.He is in the middle of a midlife crisis.
- Ist das eine echte Midlife-Crisis?Is that a real midlife crisis?
- Sie hat Angst vor einer Midlife-Crisis.She is afraid of a midlife crisis.
Example conversation
Laura and Lukas are discussing a mutual acquaintance's sudden behavior change.
- LauraLukas hat sich plötzlich ein Sportauto gekauft.Lukas suddenly bought himself a sports car.
- LukasVielleicht steckt eine Midlife-Crisis dahinter.Maybe there is a midlife crisis behind it.
- LauraDas würde seine neuen Hobbys erklären.That would explain his new hobbies.
- LukasJa, eine typische Midlife-Crisis eben.Yes, just a typical midlife crisis.
