die Leiche
corpse
The dead body of a human being.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem Unfall wurde die Leiche zur Identifizierung abtransportiert.
After the accident, the corpse was transported away for identification.
die Leiche
corpse
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Meanings
eine Leiche sein
to be dead tired
A colloquial expression used to say that you are extremely tired and exhausted.
EXAMPLE
Nach der langen Wanderung war ich abends eine totale Leiche.
After the long hike, I was totally dead tired that evening.
eine Leiche im Keller haben
to have a skeleton in the closet
An idiom meaning that someone is hiding a dark secret or an unpleasant deed from the past.
EXAMPLE
Der Politiker trat zurück, als bekannt wurde, dass er eine Leiche im Keller hatte.
The politician resigned when it became known that he had a skeleton in the closet.
Usage tips
Context clue
The three meanings are easy to distinguish in a sentence. The literal meaning usually stands on its own, while the colloquial meanings are fixed expressions: 'eine Leiche sein' (to be dead tired) and 'eine Leiche im Keller haben' (to have a skeleton in the closet).
EXAMPLE
Die Polizei fand eine Leiche im Wald.
The police found a corpse in the forest.
Register and style
The expression 'eine Leiche sein' (to be dead tired) is very colloquial. It is used only among friends or in informal situations to express extreme tiredness.
EXAMPLE
Ich gehe heute nicht mehr aus, ich bin eine absolute Leiche.
I'm not going out anymore today; I'm absolutely dead tired.
Fixed expression
The expression 'eine Leiche im Keller haben' (to have a skeleton in the closet) is a fixed idiom. It means that someone is hiding a serious secret from their past. The structure is fixed and is not changed.
EXAMPLE
Jeder Mensch hat doch irgendwo eine kleine Leiche im Keller.
Everyone has some little skeleton in the closet somewhere, don't they?
Typical collocations
In the literal meaning, 'Leiche' (corpse) is often used in reports by the police or emergency services. Typical verbs are 'eine Leiche finden' (to find a corpse), 'eine Leiche bergen' (to recover a corpse), or 'eine Leiche identifizieren' (to identify a corpse).
EXAMPLE
Die Feuerwehr konnte die Leiche aus dem Autowrack bergen.
The fire department was able to recover the corpse from the car wreck.
Compare with
Leiche vs Tote
dead person
Der Tote and die Leiche can refer to the same deceased person, but they present a different focus. Der Tote refers to the person, while die Leiche refers to the lifeless body. Use der Tote for the person and die Leiche when the body is the focus.
Leiche
Die Einsatzkräfte bargen die Leiche aus dem Unfallwagen.
The emergency responders recovered the corpse from the wrecked car.
Tote
Die Polizei identifizierte den Toten noch am selben Abend.
The police identified the deceased that same evening.
In real life
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