die Klage
complaint
The expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or grief about something. A complaint or lament.
EXAMPLE
Seine ständige Klage über die Arbeit nervt die Kollegen.
His constant complaining about work annoys his colleagues.
die Klage
complaint / lawsuit
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Meanings
die Klage
lawsuit
A formal legal action in which a person or organization sues another in court in order to enforce a claim. A synonym is 'Anklage' (charge/indictment) in criminal law or 'Klageerhebung' (filing a lawsuit) in civil law.
EXAMPLE
Das Unternehmen hat gegen den Konkurrenten eine Klage wegen Patentverletzung eingereicht.
The company filed a lawsuit against its competitor for patent infringement.
Usage tips
Word family
'Die Klage' (complaint/lawsuit) is the noun related to the verb 'klagen' (to complain/to sue). The preposition used with the verb helps you understand the meaning: 'über etwas klagen' (to complain about something) leads to 'Klage' as a complaint, while 'gegen jemanden klagen' (to sue someone) leads to 'Klage' as a court case.
EXAMPLE
Er klagt ständig über das Wetter.
He constantly complains about the weather.
Context clue
You can recognize the difference between the meanings from the context. Words like 'Gericht' (court), 'Anwalt' (lawyer), or 'einreichen' (to file) point to the legal meaning. Words like 'Schmerz' (pain), 'Leid' (suffering), or 'ständig' (constant) point to the complaint meaning.
EXAMPLE
Ihre Klage über Kopfschmerzen wurde immer lauter.
Her complaint about headaches grew louder and louder.
Correct preposition
When 'Klage' means a complaint, the reason for it is expressed with the preposition 'über' and the accusative.
EXAMPLE
Die Klage über den Lärm der Baustelle war berechtigt.
The complaint about the noise from the construction site was justified.
Typical collocations
In a legal context, 'Klage' is often used with the verbs 'einreichen' (to file) or 'erheben' (to bring/file). The person or institution being sued is named with the preposition 'gegen' (against).
EXAMPLE
Der Verein hat Klage gegen die Entscheidung der Stadt eingereicht.
The association filed a lawsuit against the city's decision.
Compare with
Klage vs Beschwerde
complaint / ailment
Klage and Beschwerde can both be an expression of dissatisfaction. Klage tends to emphasize expressing pain or suffering in a plaintive way, while Beschwerde usually means specific criticism of a thing, service, or person. Use Beschwerde for a targeted complaint and Klage for expressing distress or suffering.
Klage
Seine Klage über die lange Wartezeit klang vor allem traurig und erschöpft.
His complaint about the long wait sounded above all sad and exhausted.
Beschwerde
Er schrieb eine Beschwerde über die lange Wartezeit an den Kundenservice.
He wrote a complaint about the long wait to customer service.
In real life
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