die Lebensspanne
lifespan
The period during which a person, animal, or anything else lives or exists.
EXAMPLE
Die Lebensspanne vieler Schildkröten beträgt mehr als hundert Jahre.
The lifespan of many turtles is more than one hundred years.
die Lebensspanne
lifespan
die Lebensspanne, die Lebensspannen
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Meanings
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Lebensspanne, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | feminine die |
|---|---|
| plural | die Lebensspannen |
| genitive | der Lebensspanne |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | die Lebensspanne | die Lebensspannen |
| accusative | die Lebensspanne | die Lebensspannen |
| dative | der Lebensspanne | den Lebensspannen |
| genitive | der Lebensspanne | der Lebensspannen |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Word formation
'Lebensspanne' (lifespan) is made up of 'Leben' (life) and 'Spanne' (span). Here, 'Spanne' refers to a period of time, meaning the span of a life or of existence.
EXAMPLE
Die Lebensspanne dieser Pflanzen hängt stark vom Klima ab.
The lifespan of these plants depends greatly on the climate.
Typical collocations
Common collocations include 'die durchschnittliche Lebensspanne' (the average lifespan), 'die natürliche Lebensspanne' (the natural lifespan), and 'die erwartete Lebensspanne' (the expected lifespan). You can also say that a lifespan becomes longer or shorter.
EXAMPLE
Durch gesunde Ernährung kann sich die Lebensspanne eines Menschen um Jahre verlängern.
A healthy diet can extend a person's lifespan by several years.
Technical context
'Lebensspanne' (lifespan) occurs particularly often in scientific, medical, and statistical texts. There, the word is often used with numbers, averages, or comparisons between species and groups.
EXAMPLE
Die Studie untersucht die Lebensspanne von Bienen unter verschiedenen Umweltbedingungen.
The study examines the lifespan of bees under different environmental conditions.
In real life
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