suicide note / farewell letter
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suicide note
A letter that a person writes before taking their own life, in order to explain their motives or say goodbye to relatives.
Die Polizei fand einen Abschiedsbrief auf dem Schreibtisch des Verstorbenen.
The police found a suicide note on the deceased person's desk.
farewell letter
A letter someone writes when leaving a place, a job, or people for a long time, in order to say goodbye.
Vor seiner Auswanderung nach Kanada schrieb er all seinen Freunden einen langen Abschiedsbrief.
Before emigrating to Canada, he wrote all his friends a long farewell letter.
The word is a clear compound of 'der Abschied' (farewell) and 'der Brief' (letter). The 's' in the middle is a linking s that connects the two words. So it is literally a letter for saying goodbye.
Zum Ende ihres Praktikums schrieb sie dem ganzen Team einen netten Abschiedsbrief.
At the end of her internship, she wrote the whole team a nice farewell letter.
In the serious context of suicide, the letter is typically 'hinterlassen' (left behind) or 'gefunden' (found) by other people. These verbs emphasize the serious and final nature of the situation.
Er hat seiner Familie einen Abschiedsbrief hinterlassen.
He left his family a suicide note.
The meaning 'Suizidbrief' (suicide note) is very strong. If you mean the more harmless meaning 'Abschiedsbrief beim Weggehen' (farewell letter when leaving), the context should make this very clear in order to avoid misunderstandings.
Vor ihrer Weltreise schickte sie ihren Eltern einen langen Abschiedsbrief.
Before her trip around the world, she sent her parents a long farewell letter.
