01
klagen über
to complain about
To complain about something negative or express one's suffering about it.
example
Die Mitarbeiter klagen über die hohe Arbeitsbelastung.
The employees complain about the heavy workload.
klagen
to complain / sue / lament
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Context clues
You can recognize the meaning of 'klagen' from the preposition: 'klagen über' means to complain, 'klagen gegen' means to sue someone. Without a preposition in an emotional context, it often means 'to wail' or 'to express grief'.
EXAMPLE
Er klagt über das schlechte Wetter.
He complains about the bad weather.
Word family
The verb 'klagen' is closely connected to the noun 'die Klage'. 'Die Klage' can mean both a complaint and a lawsuit in court.
EXAMPLE
Der Anwalt hat die Klage beim Gericht eingereicht.
The lawyer filed the lawsuit with the court.
Fixed preposition
When you complain about something, always use the preposition 'über' followed by the accusative. This pattern is fixed.
EXAMPLE
Viele Menschen klagen über zu viel Stress bei der Arbeit.
Many people complain about too much stress at work.
Legal context
In the legal sense, 'klagen' is used with 'gegen' + accusative (the person/company) or 'auf' + accusative (the goal, e.g., damages).
EXAMPLE
Das Unternehmen klagt auf Schadensersatz in Höhe von einer Million Euro.
The company is suing for damages amounting to one million euros.
Compare with
klagen vs weinen
to cry
'weinen' and 'klagen' can both have to do with pain, grief, or dissatisfaction. 'weinen' mainly describes tears: a person is sad, in pain, or very moved. 'klagen' more often means that someone expresses their suffering or complains about something negative. You do not have to cry when doing this. The words can be confused because 'weinen' can also colloquially mean something like 'to whine'. In normal usage, the rule is: when there are tears, say 'weinen'; for complaints or loudly expressed suffering, you are more likely to say 'klagen'.
klagen
Wegen der vielen Überstunden klagen mehrere Kollegen über starke Müdigkeit.
Because of all the overtime, several colleagues complain about being extremely tired.
weinen
Meine Freundin weint nach dem Gespräch, weil sie sehr enttäuscht ist.
My friend cries after the conversation because she is very disappointed.
In real life
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