existence / life
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existence
Existence or life itself, often in a philosophical or general sense.
Philosophen denken seit Jahrhunderten über den Sinn des Daseins nach.
Philosophers have been thinking about the meaning of existence for centuries.
'Das Dasein' is a noun derived directly from the expression 'da sein' (to exist, to be present). Many German nouns are formed from verbs in this way and are neuter (das).
Das einfache Da-sein in der Natur macht ihn glücklich.
Simply being in nature makes him happy.
In the meaning 'Existenz' (existence), 'Dasein' is a word used in elevated written language and philosophy. It is rarely used in everyday speech, but you often find it in literary or academic texts.
In dem Roman geht es um das einsame Dasein eines Künstlers in der Großstadt.
The novel is about the lonely existence of an artist in the big city.
The meaning 'eine Art zu leben' (a way of living) is often combined with the verb 'fristen' and a descriptive adjective. The phrase 'ein ... Dasein fristen' means to lead a difficult or modest life.
Viele alte Manuskripte fristen ein unbeachtetes Dasein in den Archiven.
Many old manuscripts lead an unnoticed existence in the archives.
If an adjective that describes the quality of life comes before 'Dasein', the second meaning is usually intended. Typical examples are 'ein glückliches Dasein' (a happy existence), 'ein trauriges Dasein' (a sad existence), or 'ein Leben am Rande der Gesellschaft' (a life on the margins of society).
Sie führte nach dem Umzug aufs Land ein sehr friedliches Dasein.
After moving to the countryside, she led a very peaceful life.
existence
'die Existenz' and 'das Dasein' can both express that something or someone is there or is alive. 'Existenz' sounds somewhat more factual and fits well when talking about the presence of things, people, or ideas. 'Dasein' often sounds more general and sometimes more philosophical, especially when it is about life itself. In many simple sentences, the two can be understood similarly, but 'Existenz' is often more natural in everyday language and factual texts.
Nach der Krankheit dachte er viel über sein Dasein nach.
After the illness, he thought a lot about his existence.
Die Existenz dieses alten Briefes beweist, dass die Geschichte wahr ist.
The existence of this old letter proves that the story is true.