loneliness / solitude
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loneliness
The feeling of being alone and separated from others, often connected with sadness or a feeling of abandonment.
Nach dem Tod ihres Mannes litt sie sehr unter der Einsamkeit.
After her husband's death, she suffered greatly from loneliness.
solitude
The state of being alone, which may be chosen deliberately and experienced as calm or peaceful; seclusion.
Der Künstler zog sich in die Einsamkeit der Berge zurück, um zu malen.
The artist withdrew into the solitude of the mountains to paint.
'Einsamkeit' (loneliness/solitude) is a noun derived from the adjective 'einsam' (lonely). The ending '-keit' is often used in German to form abstract nouns from adjectives that describe a state or quality.
Er fühlte sich einsam, also litt er unter Einsamkeit.
He felt lonely, so he suffered from loneliness.
Whether the negative or positive meaning is intended can be recognized from context. Verbs like 'leiden unter' (to suffer from) or 'fürchten' (to fear) point to the negative feeling, while verbs like 'genießen' (to enjoy), 'suchen' (to seek), or 'wählen' (to choose) refer to desired seclusion.
Viele alte Menschen leiden unter Einsamkeit.
Many elderly people suffer from loneliness.
In connection with the negative feeling, 'Einsamkeit' (loneliness) is often used with the preposition 'unter' (under/from), as in 'unter Einsamkeit leiden' (to suffer from loneliness). Expressions like 'die Einsamkeit bekämpfen' (to fight loneliness) or 'Angst vor der Einsamkeit haben' (to be afraid of loneliness) are also typical.
Er hat Angst vor der Einsamkeit im Alter.
He is afraid of loneliness in old age.
isolation / insulation
Einsamkeit primarily refers to the personal feeling of being alone and separated from others. Isolation, by contrast, describes actual social separation. Someone can therefore feel lonely despite being with other people, while isolation can exist even without such a feeling.
Obwohl Lara täglich unter Menschen ist, leidet sie unter großer Einsamkeit.
Although Lara is around people every day, she suffers from intense loneliness.
Weil Lara seit Wochen keinen Kontakt zu anderen hat, leidet sie unter sozialer Isolation.
Because Lara has had no contact with anyone else for weeks, she suffers from social isolation.
