poor soul / poor person
die Arme, die Armen
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poor soul
A person you feel sorry for because they are suffering, have had bad luck, or are in a difficult situation.
Der Arme liegt ausgerechnet an seinem Geburtstag krank im Bett.
The poor soul is sick in bed on his birthday of all days.
poor person
A person who has very little money and few possessions and therefore often lacks enough to live on. In the plural, the word refers to people of all genders who live in poverty.
Die Kluft zwischen den Reichen und den Armen wird immer größer.
The gap between rich people and poor people is getting wider and wider.
| gender | feminine die |
|---|---|
| plural | die Armen |
| genitive | der Armen |
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | die Arme | die Armen |
| accusative | die Arme | die Armen |
| dative | der Armen | den Armen |
| genitive | der Armen | der Armen |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
'Der Arme' (the poor soul / the poor person) is a nominalized adjective: the adjective is used with an article but without a noun, so it is capitalized. Its form can change depending on its grammatical function in the sentence.
Ich kenne den Armen aus der Nachbarschaft.
I know the poor soul from the neighborhood.
Die Ärztin half dem Armen sofort.
The doctor helped the poor soul immediately.
When someone has had bad luck or is in a sad situation, the context usually conveys sympathy. Topics such as poverty, income, social inequality, or a lack of possessions instead point to the meaning related to poverty.
Der Arme hat sich kurz vor der Reise das Bein gebrochen.
The poor soul broke his leg shortly before the trip.
In der Stadt gibt es viele Arme, die keine bezahlbare Wohnung finden.
There are many poor people in the city who cannot find affordable housing.
In this sense, 'der Arme' (the poor soul) can also stand alone as an exclamation. The expression often conveys spontaneous pity or sympathy and can refer to a specific man or woman; for a woman, the form is 'die Arme' (the poor soul).
„Der Arme!“ – Er muss schon wieder allein im Krankenhaus bleiben.
'Poor soul!' – He has to stay in the hospital alone yet again.
In the sense relating to poverty, 'der Arme' (the poor person) often appears in texts about social problems and living conditions. Typical collocations include 'Arme unterstützen' (to support poor people), 'Arme benachteiligen' (to disadvantage poor people), and 'die Zahl der Armen steigt' (the number of poor people is rising).
Viele Organisationen unterstützen Arme mit kostenlosen Mahlzeiten.
Many organizations support poor people by providing free meals.
