die Erbkrankheit
hereditary disease
A disease caused by inherited genetic changes that can be passed from parents to their children.
EXAMPLE
Bei ihm wurde eine seltene Erbkrankheit festgestellt.
He was diagnosed with a rare hereditary disease.
die Erbkrankheit
hereditary disease
die Erbkrankheit, die Erbkrankheiten
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Erbkrankheit, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | feminine die |
|---|---|
| plural | die Erbkrankheiten |
| genitive | der Erbkrankheit |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | die Erbkrankheit | die Erbkrankheiten |
| accusative | die Erbkrankheit | die Erbkrankheiten |
| dative | der Erbkrankheit | den Erbkrankheiten |
| genitive | der Erbkrankheit | der Erbkrankheiten |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Word formation
'Erbkrankheit' is made up of 'Erb-' and 'Krankheit' (disease). 'Erb-' refers to something that can be inherited, which makes the meaning of the whole word understandable.
EXAMPLE
Die Ärzte untersuchen, ob eine Erbkrankheit in der Familie vorkommt.
The doctors are examining whether a hereditary disease runs in the family.
Typical collocations
Verbs such as 'feststellen' (to detect), 'diagnostizieren' (to diagnose), and 'behandeln' (to treat) are often used with 'Erbkrankheit'. The expression 'an einer Erbkrankheit leiden' (to suffer from a hereditary disease) is also very common.
EXAMPLE
Die Ärztin konnte die Erbkrankheit erst nach mehreren Untersuchungen diagnostizieren.
The doctor was only able to diagnose the hereditary disease after several examinations.
Medical context
'Erbkrankheit' is used mainly in medical conversations and texts. It is often discussed in connection with family history, genetic testing, or counseling.
EXAMPLE
Vor der Familienplanung ließ sich das Paar wegen einer möglichen Erbkrankheit genetisch beraten.
Before starting a family, the couple sought genetic counseling because of a possible hereditary disease.
In real life
Loading video examples...