melancholy
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melancholy
A state of deep, reflective sadness or gloom that is often felt as lasting and without a clearly identifiable reason.
An regnerischen Herbsttagen überkommt ihn oft eine leise Melancholie.
On rainy autumn days, a quiet melancholy often comes over him.
'Melancholie' (melancholy) is an elevated, often literary or psychological word. It describes a deeper, more reflective sadness, often felt as aesthetic, not just simple sadness.
Die schwarz-weiß Fotografien waren von einer tiefen Melancholie geprägt.
The black-and-white photographs were marked by a deep melancholy.
The related adjective is 'melancholisch' (melancholic). So you can speak of 'der Melancholie' (melancholy) or say that a person, a mood, or a work of art is 'melancholisch' (melancholic).
Er hörte melancholische Musik und blickte aus dem Fenster.
He listened to melancholic music and looked out the window.
'Melancholie' (melancholy) is often used in fixed expressions. Typical phrases are 'in Melancholie verfallen' (to fall into melancholy), 'von Melancholie erfasst werden' (to be seized by melancholy), or adjectives like 'eine leise/tiefe/süße Melancholie' (a quiet/deep/sweet melancholy).
Nach dem Ende des Sommers verfiel er oft in eine leichte Melancholie.
After the end of summer, he often fell into a light melancholy.
A typical, somewhat poetic construction is 'jemanden überkommt die Melancholie' (melancholy comes over someone). Here, the feeling is the active subject that comes over a person.
Immer wenn es neblig wurde, überkam ihn die Melancholie.
Whenever it became foggy, melancholy came over him.
grief / mourning
'die Trauer' and 'die Melancholie' both describe a form of deep sadness. 'Trauer' is especially fitting when there is a clear, serious loss, for example the death of a person. The feeling is then often very strong and personal. 'Melancholie' sounds more like a quiet, reflective sadness that can last longer and does not always have a clear reason. Learners may confuse the words because both feel sad. As a practical rule: for loss and farewell, people are more likely to say 'Trauer'; for a calm, unclear gloom, 'Melancholie' is more likely.
An grauen Sonntagen spürt sie oft eine leise Melancholie.
On gray Sundays, she often feels a quiet melancholy.
Nach dem Tod ihres Vaters war die Trauer in der Familie sehr groß.
After her father's death, the family's grief was very great.