der Leib
body
An elevated or old-fashioned term for the body of a human or animal.
EXAMPLE
Er zitterte am ganzen Leib vor Kälte.
His whole body was trembling from the cold.
der Leib
body
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Meanings
mit Leib und Seele
heart and soul
A fixed expression meaning that one does something with complete dedication and passion.
EXAMPLE
Sie ist mit Leib und Seele Lehrerin.
She is a teacher with heart and soul.
jemandem zu Leibe rücken
to go after someone
A fixed expression meaning to confront, pressure, or attack someone forcefully.
EXAMPLE
Die Reporter rückten dem Politiker mit kritischen Fragen zu Leibe.
The reporters went after the politician with critical questions.
sich jemanden/etwas vom Leibe halten
to keep someone/something at bay
A fixed expression meaning to keep one's distance from someone or something unpleasant.
EXAMPLE
Er versuchte, sich die aufdringlichen Verkäufer vom Leibe zu halten.
He tried to keep the pushy salespeople at bay.
Usage tips
Word formation
Although 'der Leib' (body) is rare as a standalone word, it is an important component of many compound nouns. Examples are 'der Leibwächter' (bodyguard) or 'die Leibspeise' (favorite food).
EXAMPLE
Der Präsident wird rund um die Uhr von Leibwächtern geschützt.
The president is protected by bodyguards around the clock.
Register and style
'Der Leib' (body) is an old-fashioned or elevated term for the body. In normal usage, you always use 'der Körper' (the body) instead.
EXAMPLE
In alten Gedichten wird oft vom schwachen Leib und der starken Seele gesprochen.
In old poems, people often speak of the weak body and the strong soul.
Fixed expression
The idiom 'mit Leib und Seele' means that one does something with complete passion and dedication. It is often used to describe professions or hobbies.
EXAMPLE
Er ist Musiker mit Leib und Seele.
He is a musician with heart and soul.
Dative construction
The expression 'jemandem zu Leibe rücken' means to confront or pressure a person forcefully. The person being confronted is always in the dative.
EXAMPLE
Die Journalisten rückten dem Minister mit unangenehmen Fragen zu Leibe.
The journalists went after the minister with unpleasant questions.
Sentence structure and usage
The expression 'sich jemanden/etwas vom Leibe halten' has a fixed structure: the reflexive pronoun is in the dative, while the person or thing being avoided is in the accusative.
EXAMPLE
Ich versuche, mir negative Menschen vom Leibe zu halten.
I try to keep negative people at bay.
Compare with
Leib vs Körper
body
Körper and Leib can both refer to the entire physical form of a person or animal. Körper is neutral and common in modern everyday language. Leib, by contrast, usually sounds elevated, religious, or old-fashioned and is particularly suitable in texts with that tone.
Leib
Im alten Text steht, dass der Leib jetzt viel Ruhe braucht.
The old text says that the body needs plenty of rest now.
Körper
Der Arzt sagt, dass der Körper jetzt viel Ruhe braucht.
The doctor says that the body needs plenty of rest now.
In real life
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