die Krankheit
illness / disease
A condition in which physical or mental health is impaired; a specific disease or ailment.
EXAMPLE
Die Grippe ist eine weit verbreitete Krankheit im Winter.
The flu is a widespread illness in winter.
die Krankheit
illness / disease
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Meanings
die Krankheit
illness
The state of being ill as a context for absence or as a reason, often without naming a specific illness.
EXAMPLE
Er hat sich heute Morgen wegen Krankheit abgemeldet.
He called in sick this morning due to illness.
Usage tips
Word family
'Krankheit' (illness/disease) is derived from the adjective 'krank' (sick/ill). The ending '-heit' forms abstract nouns from adjectives that describe a state, as also in 'frei' (free) → 'Freiheit' (freedom).
EXAMPLE
Nach langer Krankheit fühlt er sich endlich wieder besser.
After a long illness, he finally feels better again.
Typical adjectives
To describe an illness in more detail, adjectives such as 'schwer' (severe), 'ernst' (serious), 'chronisch' (chronic), 'ansteckend' (contagious), or 'selten' (rare) are often used.
EXAMPLE
Er leidet an einer seltenen, chronischen Krankheit.
He suffers from a rare, chronic illness.
Typical verbs
You 'hat' (have) or 'bekommt' (get) a disease/illness. If you suffer from it, you use the fixed expression 'an einer Krankheit leiden' (to suffer from an illness/disease, with dative).
EXAMPLE
Viele Menschen im Büro haben die Grippe bekommen.
Many people in the office have caught the flu.
Use as a reason
When 'Krankheit' (illness) serves as a general reason for an absence, it is often used with the preposition 'wegen' (because of/due to). In this case, no specific illness is named.
EXAMPLE
Das Geschäft bleibt heute wegen Krankheit geschlossen.
The shop is closed today due to illness.
Compare with
Krankheit vs leiden
to suffer
Leiden and Krankheit can both concern a health-related burden. Krankheit refers to the impaired condition or the specific illness, while leiden expresses that a person experiences pain or hardship because of it. Use Krankheit when talking about the illness itself; use leiden when describing the experience of the affected person.
Krankheit
Die Krankheit nimmt ihr seit Monaten viel Kraft und erschwert ihren Alltag.
The illness has been draining her strength for months and making everyday life more difficult.
leiden
Seit Monaten leidet sie an einer Krankheit, die ihr viel Kraft nimmt.
She has been suffering from an illness for months that is draining her strength.
In real life
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