01
ersticken
to suffocate
To die because one can no longer get air; to suffer death by suffocation.
example
Ohne Sauerstoffgerät würde man in dieser Höhe ersticken.
Without an oxygen device, you would suffocate at this altitude.
ersticken
to suffocate
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word structure
'Ersticken' (to suffocate) is an inseparable verb with the prefix 'er-'. This prefix often points to a final or fatal result of an action, as in 'ertrinken' (to drown) or 'erfrieren' (to freeze to death).
EXAMPLE
Der Bergsteiger wäre beinahe erfroren.
The mountaineer nearly froze to death.
Perfect tense: sein vs. haben
The auxiliary verb in the perfect tense depends on the meaning. When someone suffocates on their own (intransitive), you use 'sein'. When someone suffocates another person (transitive), you use 'haben'.
EXAMPLE
Der Mann ist in dem Rauch erstickt.
The man suffocated in the smoke.
Active vs. passive
The verb can be used transitively (actively, with an accusative object) or intransitively (passively, without an object). Without an object, it means that the subject dies. With an object, it means that the subject kills someone or something, or puts something out.
EXAMPLE
Die Katze ist fast an einem Fischknochen erstickt.
The cat almost choked on a fish bone.
Fixed expression
The idiom 'etwas im Keim ersticken' (to nip something in the bud) is very common. It means to stop a negative development (e.g., a conflict, a rumor, an uprising) immediately before it becomes bigger.
EXAMPLE
Der Manager hat die Gerüchte über eine Schließung sofort im Keim erstickt.
The manager immediately nipped the rumors about a closure in the bud.
Figurative use
The figurative expression 'in etwas (Dativ) ersticken' (to drown in something) describes the feeling of being completely overloaded by something. For example, you can drown 'in Arbeit' (in work), 'in Bürokratie' (in bureaucracy), or 'in Müll' (in trash).
EXAMPLE
Ich habe das Gefühl, ich ersticke in Arbeit und habe keine freie Minute mehr.
I feel like I'm drowning in work and don't have a free minute anymore.
Compare with
ersticken vs verhindern
to prevent
'verhindern' and 'ersticken' can both express that something is stopped. 'verhindern' is the normal, general word: something does not happen. 'ersticken' is much more specific. Literally, it has to do with air or oxygen, for example with a fire. In the fixed expression 'etwas im Keim ersticken' (to nip something in the bud), it means that a development is stopped immediately before it becomes bigger. The words can be confused because both describe an ending or stopping. For normal plans, problems, or events, 'verhindern' is usually more natural; 'ersticken' only fits in these specific images or literally when oxygen is involved.
ersticken
Mit einer Decke erstickt Noah das kleine Feuer in der Werkstatt.
Noah smothers the small fire in the workshop with a blanket.
verhindern
Der Helm hat beim Sturz eine schwere Verletzung verhindert.
The helmet prevented a serious injury during the fall.
In real life
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