01
die Gicht
gout
A metabolic disease caused by an elevated level of uric acid in the blood, leading to painful inflammation in the joints.
example
Wegen seiner Gicht kann er kaum noch laufen.
Because of his gout, he can hardly walk anymore.
die Gicht
gout
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Meanings
Usage tips
Typical verbs
When talking about this illness, people usually use the verbs 'haben' (to have) or 'leiden' (to suffer). You can say 'Gicht haben' (to have gout) or 'an Gicht leiden' (to suffer from gout).
EXAMPLE
Mein Großvater hat seit vielen Jahren Gicht.
My grandfather has had gout for many years.
Typical collocation
A very common and specific word combination is 'der Gichtanfall' (gout attack). This describes an acute, painful phase of the disease.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem üppigen Essen hatte er in der Nacht einen schmerzhaften Gichtanfall.
After the lavish meal, he had a painful gout attack during the night.
Cultural context
'Gicht' (gout) has historically often been referred to as a 'Wohlstandskrankheit' (disease of affluence), because it used to occur frequently among rich people whose diet contained a lot of meat and alcohol. This association helps you imagine the disease better.
EXAMPLE
Früher galt Gicht als eine Krankheit der Könige und des Adels.
In the past, gout was considered a disease of kings and the nobility.
Compare with
Gicht vs Arthritis
arthritis
'Arthritis' and 'Gicht' can both refer to painful inflammation in the joints. That is why learners may easily confuse them. 'Arthritis' is a more general medical term for an inflammatory joint disease. 'Gicht' is a specific disease: it is caused by too much uric acid in the blood and then leads to severe joint inflammation. If you are only saying that a joint is inflamed, 'Arthritis' fits. If the cause is uric acid or a typical gout attack is meant, 'Gicht' is more precise.
Gicht
Bei Gicht entzündet sich oft ein Gelenk plötzlich und sehr schmerzhaft.
With gout, a joint often becomes inflamed suddenly and very painfully.
Arthritis
Wegen der Arthritis kann er seine Finger morgens nur langsam bewegen.
Because of the arthritis, he can only move his fingers slowly in the morning.
In real life
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