das Leben
life
The existence of a person, animal, or plant for as long as that living being is alive.
EXAMPLE
Wasser und Nahrung sind für das Leben unverzichtbar.
Water and food are essential for life.
das Leben
life
das Leben, die Leben
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Meanings
das Leben
life
The period during which a person or another living being is alive, from birth to death.
EXAMPLE
Sie hat ihr ganzes Leben in diesem Dorf verbracht.
She spent her whole life in this village.
das Leben
life
The totality of the experiences, events, and developments that a person goes through.
EXAMPLE
Das Leben des Schriftstellers war von vielen Reisen geprägt.
The writer's life was shaped by many travels.
das Leben
life
The way someone lives, including their habits, relationships, and daily activities.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem Umzug hat sich sein Leben stark verändert.
His life changed a great deal after the move.
das Leben
life
The social and everyday activity taking place in a place or particular environment.
EXAMPLE
In dieser Stadt ist auch nachts viel Leben.
There is a lot of life in this city even at night.
das Leben
life
The vitality, energy, and visible activity that come from a person, place, or thing.
EXAMPLE
Seit der Renovierung ist wieder Leben in das alte Haus gekommen.
Since the renovation, life has returned to the old house.
ein Leben führen
to lead a ... life
To have a particular way of life and organize one's daily routine in a particular way.
EXAMPLE
Sie führt ein ruhiges Leben auf dem Land.
She leads a quiet life in the countryside.
ins Leben rufen
to launch / to found
To establish, introduce, or begin something, especially a project, organization, or initiative.
EXAMPLE
Die Stadt hat ein neues Kulturprogramm ins Leben gerufen.
The city launched a new cultural program.
am Leben bleiben
to stay alive
Not to die, but to continue living.
EXAMPLE
Der Verletzte blieb trotz des schweren Unfalls am Leben.
The injured man stayed alive despite the serious accident.
das Leben retten
to save someone's life
To prevent someone from dying.
EXAMPLE
Die schnelle Hilfe hat dem Kind das Leben gerettet.
The quick assistance saved the child's life.
jemandem das Leben nehmen
to take someone's life
To kill someone and thereby cause their death.
EXAMPLE
Der Täter nahm einem unschuldigen Menschen das Leben.
The perpetrator took an innocent person's life.
sich das Leben nehmen
to take one's own life
To kill oneself.
EXAMPLE
Der Mann nahm sich nach langer Krankheit das Leben.
The man took his own life after a long illness.
auf Leben und Tod
to fight to the death
With the possible outcome that someone may die or be killed; also used figuratively to express extreme seriousness.
EXAMPLE
Die beiden Gegner kämpften auf Leben und Tod.
The two opponents fought to the death.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Leben, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | neuter das |
|---|---|
| plural | die Leben |
| genitive | des Lebens |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | das Leben | die Leben |
| accusative | das Leben | die Leben |
| dative | dem Leben | den Leben |
| genitive | des Lebens | der Leben |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Typical collocations
In this meaning, 'Leben' (life) often appears with verbs such as 'schützen' (to protect), 'erhalten' (to preserve), or 'bedrohen' (to threaten). When a person is specified more precisely, the phrase 'das Leben von' (the life of) is often used with a person or group.
EXAMPLE
Die Ärztinnen kämpfen darum, das Leben von Frühgeborenen zu schützen.
The doctors are fighting to protect the lives of premature babies.
Expressions of time
To refer to someone's entire lifetime, fixed expressions such as 'sein ganzes Leben lang' (throughout one's whole life) and 'im Laufe seines Lebens' (over the course of one's life) are often used. These expressions refer to duration rather than individual experiences.
EXAMPLE
Er hat sein ganzes Leben lang gern Musik gemacht.
He has enjoyed making music throughout his whole life.
Typical collocations
To refer to a person's experiences and events, common expressions include 'ein bewegtes Leben' (an eventful life), 'ein erfülltes Leben' (a fulfilling life), and 'das Leben prägt jemanden' (life shapes someone). Adjectives often describe what these experiences were like overall.
EXAMPLE
Die Forscherin führte ein bewegtes Leben mit Aufenthalten auf mehreren Kontinenten.
The researcher led an eventful life, staying on several continents.
Shaping one's life
When referring to a person's way of life, 'Leben' (life) often appears with verbs such as 'gestalten' (to shape), 'verändern' (to change), 'genießen' (to enjoy), or 'organisieren' (to organize). The related adjective often describes the nature of this way of life.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem Studium wollte sie ihr Leben bewusster gestalten.
After graduating, she wanted to shape her life more consciously.
Lively activity
To refer to social activity in a place, 'Leben' (life) often appears with expressions of place and the adjective 'rege' (lively). The phrase 'reges Leben' (lively activity) describes many activities and people in a place.
EXAMPLE
Am Marktplatz herrscht am Samstag reges Leben.
There is lively activity in the market square on Saturdays.
Bringing life
In this meaning, 'Leben' (life) often appears in the fixed expressions 'Leben in etwas bringen' (to bring life to something) or 'Leben in etwas kommen' (for life to return to something). The preposition 'in' indicates the place or area that becomes active again.
EXAMPLE
Mit den neuen Bewohnern kam wieder Leben in das verlassene Viertel.
The new residents brought life back to the abandoned neighborhood.
Leading a life
The expression 'ein ... Leben führen' (to lead a ... life) describes a particular way of life. An adjective usually comes between 'ein' and 'Leben' to characterize this way of life more precisely.
EXAMPLE
Nach vielen Jahren in der Großstadt führt er jetzt ein einfaches Leben auf dem Land.
After many years in the big city, he now leads a simple life in the countryside.
Fixed expression
In the fixed expression 'etwas ins Leben rufen' (to launch / to found something), the new project or organization is in the accusative case. 'Ins' is the shortened form of 'in das' and indicates the beginning or founding of something.
EXAMPLE
Die Studierenden riefen eine Initiative für mehr Nachhaltigkeit ins Leben.
The students launched an initiative for greater sustainability.
Staying alive
'Am Leben' (alive) is a fixed expression used with 'bleiben' (to remain), 'sein' (to be), or 'erhalten' (to preserve). After 'an', the form 'am' is used here; the expression is especially common with accidents, illnesses, and other dangers.
EXAMPLE
Nach der langen Operation war zunächst unklar, ob der Patient am Leben bleiben würde.
After the long operation, it was initially unclear whether the patient would stay alive.
Dative and accusative
In 'jemandem das Leben retten' (to save someone's life), the person affected is in the dative case and 'das Leben' (the life) is in the accusative case. Grammatically, the person receives the saving, while 'das Leben' is the direct object.
EXAMPLE
Der Rettungsschwimmer rettete dem Jungen das Leben.
The lifeguard saved the boy's life.
Dative and accusative
In 'jemandem das Leben nehmen' (to take someone's life), the person affected is in the dative case and 'das Leben' (the life) is in the accusative case. This fixed expression is usually used in reports about serious acts of violence or figuratively.
EXAMPLE
Der Krieg nahm Tausenden von Menschen das Leben.
The war took the lives of thousands of people.
Reflexive expression
In the fixed expression 'sich das Leben nehmen' (to take one's own life), 'sich' refers to the person affected and 'das Leben' (the life) is the accusative object. The expression refers to suicide and is often used in factual reports.
EXAMPLE
Der Artikel berichtet über einen Mann, der sich nach langer Isolation das Leben nahm.
The article reports on a man who took his own life after a long period of isolation.
Fixed expression
'Auf Leben und Tod' (to the death) is a fixed expression without an article before 'Leben' (life) and 'Tod' (death). It can express a real risk of death or, figuratively, refer to a particularly bitter conflict.
EXAMPLE
Die beiden Mannschaften lieferten sich ein Duell auf Leben und Tod.
The two teams engaged in a fight to the death.
In real life
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