grief / sorrow
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grief / sorrow
A deep feeling of sadness, worry, or emotional pain that often lasts for a longer period of time. Kummer is usually caused by worries, loss, or disappointments.
Sie hat großen Kummer wegen ihrer kranken Mutter.
She is filled with deep sorrow because of her sick mother.
'Der Kummer' (grief/sorrow) belongs to the word family of 'kümmern' (to care / to take care of). While 'der Kummer' describes a negative feeling or worry, 'sich kümmern um' means that you actively try to solve a problem or look after a person's well-being.
Der Verlust des Arbeitsplatzes bereitete ihm großen Kummer.
The loss of his job caused him great sorrow.
'Kummer' (grief/sorrow) is usually used as an uncountable noun and therefore generally has no plural. It also often appears without an article, especially after prepositions such as 'vor' or 'aus'.
Sie konnte vor lauter Kummer kaum noch essen.
She could hardly eat because of all her sorrow.
Common verbs used with 'Kummer' (grief/sorrow) are 'Kummer haben' (to be troubled / to have sorrow) or 'jemandem Kummer bereiten/machen' (to cause someone sorrow). The latter means to be the cause of another person's sorrow.
Sein rücksichtsloses Verhalten bereitet seinen Eltern viel Kummer.
His inconsiderate behavior causes his parents a lot of sorrow.
The expression 'Kummer gewohnt sein' (to be used to hardship) is a fixed unit. It describes a person who has been hardened by many negative experiences and can deal with difficult situations.
Als Kind von Flüchtlingen ist sie von klein auf Kummer gewohnt.
As the child of refugees, she has been used to hardship from an early age.
problem
'das Problem' and 'der Kummer' can both have to do with personal difficulties. 'das Problem' more often describes the concrete thing that is weighing on someone, for example an argument, money worries, or a decision. 'der Kummer' mainly describes the sad or heavy feeling that results from it. A problem can cause sorrow, but sorrow is not the thing to be solved itself. If you are speaking factually about a difficulty, use 'Problem'. If you mean inner suffering or sadness, 'Kummer' fits better.
Nach der Trennung sprach Johanna lange mit ihrer Freundin über ihren Kummer.
After the breakup, Johanna talked with her friend for a long time about her sorrow.
Frau Müller hatte beim Arzt ein Problem mit dem neuen Medikament.
At the doctor's office, Frau Müller had a problem with the new medication.