trauriges Leben
The English phrase "sad life" is translated into German as trauriges Leben.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adjective traurig (sad) and the noun Leben (life).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Swiss German, you can say es truurigs Läbe for "a sad life".
How does it change in a sentence?
Because Leben is a neuter noun, the adjective takes the -es ending when used with the indefinite article in the phrase ein trauriges Leben. The adjective traurig must always agree in gender (neuter) and case with the noun Leben.
Did you know?
- The word Leben is a cognate of the English word 'live' and both trace back to the Proto-Indo-European root leyp-, meaning 'to cling' or 'to linger'.
- While trauriges Leben describes a sad life, Germans often use the phrase ein hartes Leben to describe systemic struggles that make a life sad.
- If you want to describe a 'pathetic' or 'miserable' existence in a biting, colloquial way, Germans often use the word elend instead of traurig.
Examples in context
- Es ist ein trauriges Leben, aber wir müssen unsere Köpfe hochhalten und nach vorne schauen.It's a sad life, but we must keep our heads up and look forward.
- Er führt ein trauriges Leben.He leads a sad life.
- Das ist ein trauriges Leben.That is a sad life.
- Er führt ein trauriges Leben in der Stadt.He leads a sad life in the city.
- Niemand möchte ein trauriges Leben führen.No one wants to lead a sad life.
Example conversation
Felix and Laura are discussing a character in a novel.
- FelixDer Protagonist hat ein trauriges Leben.The protagonist has a sad life.
- LauraJa, das Buch ist sehr deprimierend.Yes, the book is very depressing.
- FelixIch finde seine Geschichte sehr traurig.I find his story very sad.
- LauraIch verstehe, warum er so einsam ist.I understand why he is so lonely.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Leben, leben, CC BY-SA 4.0.
