01
erkranken
to fall ill
To become sick; to lose one's state of health.
example
Letzte Woche ist er plötzlich erkrankt und musste im Bett bleiben.
Last week he suddenly fell ill and had to stay in bed.
erkranken
to fall ill
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word structure
The verb is made up of the prefix 'er-' and the adjective 'krank' (sick). Here, the prefix 'er-' expresses the beginning of a state, that is, becoming sick.
EXAMPLE
Pass auf, dass du dich nicht erkältest und erkrankst.
Be careful that you don't catch a cold and fall ill.
Perfect tense with 'sein'
Since 'erkranken' (to fall ill) describes a change of state (from healthy to sick), the perfect tense is always formed with the auxiliary verb 'sein' (to be), not with 'haben' (to have).
EXAMPLE
Mein Kollege ist letzte Woche an einer Lungenentzündung erkrankt.
My colleague came down with pneumonia last week.
Register
'Erkranken' (to fall ill) is more formal than 'krank werden' (to get sick) and is often used in medical, scientific, or official contexts.
EXAMPLE
Die Statistik zeigt, wie viele Menschen jährlich an Diabetes erkranken.
The statistics show how many people develop diabetes each year.
Fixed preposition
To name the specific illness, you always use the preposition 'an' followed by the dative. The structure is: jemand erkrankt an einer Krankheit (someone contracts an illness).
EXAMPLE
Er ist als Kind an Masern erkrankt.
He contracted measles as a child.
Compare with
erkranken vs bekommen
to get / receive
'bekommen' and 'erkranken' can both express that someone becomes sick. Here, 'bekommen' is more colloquial and often appears with the name of an illness or a symptom: you can get a fever, a cough, or the flu. 'erkranken' sounds more formal and generally means 'to fall ill'. With 'an', it often names a specific illness, especially in medical or official texts. In conversation, 'eine Erkältung bekommen' (to get a cold) is more natural; in reports or with more serious illnesses, 'an einer Krankheit erkranken' (to fall ill with a disease) fits better.
erkranken
Mehrere Mitarbeiter sind im Winter an Grippe erkrankt.
Several employees contracted the flu in winter.
bekommen
Nach dem langen Spaziergang im Regen bekam Paul eine Erkältung.
After the long walk in the rain, Paul got a cold.
In real life
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