erwachsen
grown-up
Having reached adulthood; no longer a child or adolescent.
EXAMPLE
Meine Kinder sind inzwischen erwachsen.
My children are grown-up now.
erwachsen
grown-up / mature
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
erwachsen
mature
Mentally mature, sensible, and able to act independently.
EXAMPLE
Sie hat sehr erwachsen auf die schwierige Situation reagiert.
She reacted to the difficult situation in a very mature way.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry erwachsen, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
Comparison
| basic form | erwachsen |
|---|
After der, die, das
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -e | -e | -e | -en |
| acc. | -en | -e | -e | -en |
| dat. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
| gen. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
Add the ending to erwachsen.
After ein, eine
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -er | -e | -es | -en |
| acc. | -en | -e | -es | -en |
| dat. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
| gen. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
Add the ending to erwachsen.
Without article
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -er | -e | -es | -e |
| acc. | -en | -e | -es | -e |
| dat. | -em | -er | -em | -en |
| gen. | -en | -er | -en | -er |
Add the ending to erwachsen.
Usage tips
Referring to age
When referring to age, 'erwachsen' (grown-up) is often used with 'sein' (to be) or 'werden' (to become) and refers to people. For children or teenagers, 'erwachsen werden' (to grow up) can describe their future transition to adulthood.
EXAMPLE
Mit achtzehn Jahren gilt man in Deutschland als erwachsen.
In Germany, you are considered an adult at eighteen.
Wenn die Kinder erwachsen werden, ziehen viele von zu Hause aus.
When children grow up, many move out of their parents' home.
Typical collocations
When referring to mental maturity, 'erwachsen' (mature) is often used with verbs such as 'reagieren' (to react), 'handeln' (to act), or 'sich verhalten' (to behave). Here, the word particularly describes how someone handles a situation.
EXAMPLE
Trotz der Kritik blieb er ruhig und verhielt sich sehr erwachsen.
Despite the criticism, he stayed calm and behaved in a very mature way.
Im Streit mit seinem Bruder handelte der Zwölfjährige erstaunlich erwachsen.
During the argument with his brother, the twelve-year-old acted in a surprisingly mature way.
Opposites
In terms of age, the opposite of 'erwachsen' (grown-up) is 'minderjährig' (underage) or 'noch ein Kind' (still a child). In terms of maturity, the opposites are 'kindisch' (childish) and 'unreif' (immature).
EXAMPLE
Er ist zwar längst erwachsen, benimmt sich aber oft kindisch.
Although he has long been an adult, he often behaves childishly.
In real life
Loading video examples...