miscarriage
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miscarriage
The premature, spontaneous termination of a pregnancy in which the fetus dies before it would be viable outside the womb.
Nach der Fehlgeburt brauchte sie Zeit, um den Verlust zu verarbeiten.
After the miscarriage, she needed time to process the loss.
The word consists of the prefix 'fehl-' (mis-, wrong, failed), which indicates failure or an error, and the noun 'Geburt' (birth). A 'Fehlgeburt' (miscarriage) is therefore literally a 'failed birth.'
Das Risiko für eine Fehlgeburt ist in den ersten Wochen am höchsten.
The risk of miscarriage is highest in the first few weeks.
In a medical context, this word is often combined with the verbs 'erleiden' (to suffer) or 'haben' (to have). Both formulations are common for describing this event.
Sie hat im dritten Monat eine Fehlgeburt erlitten.
She suffered a miscarriage in the third month.
You can recognize the figurative meaning by the fact that it always refers to things, projects, or ideas, never to a person. It is often used to describe a result as a complete failure.
Der neue Gesetzesentwurf wurde von der Opposition als totale Fehlgeburt kritisiert.
The new draft law was criticized by the opposition as a total failure.
bankruptcy / flop
'die Pleite' and 'die Fehlgeburt' can both describe, in a figurative sense, a completely failed result. 'Pleite' is colloquial and fits many everyday failures, for example a plan, an event, or a project. 'Fehlgeburt' is much harsher as a figurative word and can sound hurtful because it actually refers to a very sensitive medical event. For that reason, it should be used only carefully for failed projects. In normal conversations, 'Pleite' is usually more natural and less crude.
Der Entwurf für die neue App war eine technische Fehlgeburt und wurde sofort gestoppt.
The draft for the new app was a technical failure and was stopped immediately.
Die Party war eine Pleite, denn fast niemand ist gekommen.
The party was a flop because hardly anyone came.