01
die Ehe
marriage
A legally and/or socially recognized life partnership between two people.
example
Nach zehn Jahren wilder Ehe haben sie endlich geheiratet.
After ten years of living together without being married, they finally got married.
die Ehe
marriage
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word family
'Die Ehe' (marriage) is the base word for an entire word family. It includes 'das Ehepaar' (married couple), 'der Ehemann' (husband), 'die Ehefrau' (wife), and the adjective 'ehelich' (relating to marriage).
EXAMPLE
Das Ehepaar feiert morgen seinen zehnten Hochzeitstag.
The married couple is celebrating their tenth wedding anniversary tomorrow.
Typical verbs
Fixed verbs are often used with 'Ehe' (marriage). You 'schließt' eine Ehe (enter into a marriage; formal), you 'führt' eine Ehe (lead/have a marriage; be married), and you can 'eine Ehe scheiden lassen' (get a marriage dissolved; get divorced).
EXAMPLE
Sie führen seit 20 Jahren eine glückliche Ehe.
They have had a happy marriage for 20 years.
Fixed expression
The expression 'in wilder Ehe leben' is a colloquial expression meaning that a couple lives together without being legally married. Although this is normal today, the expression is still used.
EXAMPLE
Meine Eltern haben zehn Jahre in wilder Ehe gelebt, bevor sie geheiratet haben.
My parents lived together without being married for ten years before they got married.
Compare with
Ehe vs Verbindung
connection / association
'die Verbindung' and 'die Ehe' can both mean a close relationship between people. However, 'die Ehe' is much more specific: it refers to a legally or socially recognized partnership between two people. 'die Verbindung' is more general and can also be a social or professional contact. In a figurative sense, 'Ehe' can also mean a very close and lasting union between two things. When talking about married people, 'Ehe' is the precise word; when the type of relationship is left open, 'Verbindung' fits better.
Ehe
Nach zwanzig Jahren ist ihre Ehe noch immer sehr glücklich.
After twenty years, their marriage is still very happy.
Verbindung
Durch ihre Arbeit hat Frau Yilmaz eine gute Verbindung zu vielen Vereinen in der Stadt.
Through her work, Ms. Yilmaz has good connections to many associations in the city.
In real life
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