autumn / fall
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autumn / fall
The season between summer and winter, when the leaves fall and temperatures drop.
Im Herbst werden die Tage kürzer und die Blätter der Bäume verfärben sich.
In autumn, the days get shorter and the leaves on the trees change color.
To express that something happens during this season, the preposition 'in' with the dative is almost always used: 'im Herbst' (in autumn / in fall).
Im Herbst machen wir oft lange Spaziergänge im Wald.
In autumn, we often take long walks in the forest.
Common adjectives that describe 'Herbst' (autumn / fall) are 'golden' (golden), 'bunt' (colorful), 'kühl' (cool), or 'stürmisch' (stormy). These words help describe a typical autumn atmosphere.
Wir genießen den goldenen Herbst bei einer Tasse Tee.
We enjoy the golden autumn with a cup of tea.
The expression 'der Herbst des Lebens' (the autumn of life) is a poetic way to refer to a person's old age. It is often used in a reflective or literary context.
Im Herbst ihres Lebens reiste sie noch einmal um die Welt.
In the autumn of her life, she traveled around the world one more time.
You can usually recognize the figurative meaning from the combination with a genitive or possessive pronoun referring to a person, for example 'der Herbst seines Lebens' (the autumn of his life) or 'ihr Herbst' (her autumn).
Er blickte im Herbst seines Lebens zufrieden auf seine Familie.
In the autumn of his life, he looked back on his family with satisfaction.
age
'das Alter' and 'der Herbst' can both refer to the final stage of human life. 'das Alter' is the normal, direct word for this in everyday language. 'der Herbst' is used figuratively in this meaning, usually in expressions like 'der Herbst des Lebens' (the autumn of life). This sounds more imagery-based and often more poetic. If you are speaking factually about older people or this stage of life, 'das Alter' fits better. 'Herbst' is more suitable in texts, speeches, or personal phrasing when you want to describe this stage of life more gently or beautifully.
Im Herbst seines Lebens begann mein Großvater noch einmal zu malen.
In the autumn of his life, my grandfather started painting again.
Sie denkt oft darüber nach, wie sie im Alter leben möchte.
She often thinks about how she wants to live in old age.