geschieden
divorced
Describing the marital status of a person whose marriage has been legally dissolved.
EXAMPLE
Meine Tante ist seit fünf Jahren geschieden und lebt jetzt allein.
My aunt has been divorced for five years and now lives alone.
geschieden
divorced / separate
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Meanings
geschieden
separate
Used in elevated or formal language to mean 'separated' or 'distinguished.'
EXAMPLE
Diese beiden Aspekte des Problems müssen streng geschieden voneinander betrachtet werden.
These two aspects of the problem must be considered strictly separately from each other.
Usage tips
Participle as adjective
'Geschieden' (divorced/separated) is the past participle of the verb 'scheiden' (to separate), which means 'to separate.' It is used like a normal adjective to describe a state that has resulted from a separation.
EXAMPLE
Nach einer langen Trennungsphase sind sie nun offiziell geschieden.
After a long period of separation, they are now officially divorced.
Context clue
When 'geschieden' (divorced/separated) refers to people, it almost always means that their marriage has ended. When it refers to abstract things or ideas, it means 'separate' and is used in a very formal or philosophical context.
EXAMPLE
Meine Eltern sind geschieden, verstehen sich aber gut.
My parents are divorced, but they get along well.
Sentence structure and usage
To express marital status, you use the form '[person] ist geschieden' ([person] is divorced). If you want to say from whom, use the preposition 'von' (from): 'Sie ist von ihrem Mann geschieden' (She is divorced from her husband).
EXAMPLE
Er ist seit letztem Jahr von seiner Frau geschieden.
He has been divorced from his wife since last year.
Word family
Several related words belong to the topic of the end of a marriage: the verb is 'sich scheiden lassen' (to get divorced), the noun is 'die Scheidung' (the divorce), and the state is 'geschieden sein' (to be divorced).
EXAMPLE
Sie haben sich nach zehn Jahren Ehe scheiden lassen.
They got divorced after ten years of marriage.
Compare with
geschieden vs getrennt
separate / separated
Getrennt describes a couple that has ended their life together but may still be married. Geschieden only applies once the marriage has been legally dissolved. So, to state someone’s exact marital status, it is important to know whether the divorce has already taken place.
geschieden
Nach der juristischen Auflösung ihrer Ehe sind Anna und Paul geschieden.
After their marriage was legally dissolved, Anna and Paul were divorced.
getrennt
Anna und Paul leben seit März getrennt, sind aber noch verheiratet.
Anna and Paul have been living apart since March, but they are still married.
In real life
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