das Leid
suffering
Great emotional or physical pain, grief, or misfortune.
EXAMPLE
Die Flutkatastrophe verursachte unermessliches Leid in der Region.
The flood disaster caused immeasurable suffering in the region.
das Leid
suffering
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Meanings
jemandem leidtun
to be sorry
To feel regret or remorse about something; to have sympathy for someone. Usually in the form 'es tut mir/dir/ihm leid' (I'm/you're/he's sorry).
EXAMPLE
Es tut mir aufrichtig leid, dass ich dich verletzt habe.
I am truly sorry that I hurt you.
etwas leid sein
to be tired of
To be fed up with something; to have had enough of something.
EXAMPLE
Ich bin es leid, immer wieder dieselbe Diskussion zu führen.
I'm tired of having the same discussion again and again.
Usage tips
Word family
The noun 'das Leid' (suffering) belongs to the word family of the verb 'leiden' (to suffer). Both words describe a state of pain, grief, or misfortune.
EXAMPLE
Viele Menschen leiden unter den Folgen des Krieges.
Many people are suffering from the consequences of the war.
Typical collocations
As a noun, 'Leid' (suffering) is often combined with verbs like 'verursachen' (to cause), 'lindern' (to alleviate), 'ertragen' (to endure), or 'erfahren' (to experience). It often describes a great, severe burden.
EXAMPLE
Diese Medikamente sollen das Leid der Patienten lindern.
These medications are meant to alleviate the patients' suffering.
Dative construction
In the expression 'leidtun' (to be sorry), the person who feels regret is always in the dative. The fixed structure is: 'Es tut [dative person] leid' (It makes [person] sorry).
EXAMPLE
Tut es dir nicht leid, was du gesagt hast?
Aren't you sorry about what you said?
Accusative construction
In the expression 'etwas leid sein' (to be tired of something), the thing you have had enough of is in the accusative. The person who feels this way is the subject of the sentence.
EXAMPLE
Ich bin diesen ständigen Lärm leid.
I'm tired of this constant noise.
Compare with
Leid vs Lied
song
“Leid” and “Lied” sound the same, but refer to completely different things. Leid means great pain, sorrow, or misfortune, while Lied is a piece of music meant to be sung. In spoken German, only the context shows whether the subject is a difficult experience or music.
Leid
Das Leid der Familie nach dem Unfall war lange zu spüren.
The family’s suffering after the accident was still palpable for a long time.
Lied
Das Lied der Familie nach dem Essen war im ganzen Haus zu hören.
The family’s song after the meal could be heard throughout the house.
In real life
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