die Misere
plight / misery
A state of great misery or hardship; an extremely difficult, unfortunate situation.
EXAMPLE
Die wirtschaftliche Misere des Landes führte zu hoher Arbeitslosigkeit.
The country's economic plight led to high unemployment.
die Misere
plight / misery
die Misere, die Miseren
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Meanings
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Misere, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | feminine die |
|---|---|
| plural | die Miseren |
| genitive | der Misere |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | die Misere | die Miseren |
| accusative | die Misere | die Miseren |
| dative | der Misere | den Miseren |
| genitive | der Misere | der Miseren |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Elevated style
The word 'Misere' (plight/misery) belongs more to written language or an elevated style. It describes a very serious and often broad emergency or difficult situation and is stronger than 'Problem' (problem).
EXAMPLE
Der Verein steckt seit Monaten in einer finanziellen Misere.
The club has been stuck in financial difficulty for months.
Typical collocations
'Misere' (plight/misery) is often specified by adjectives that name the area of the problem. Typical examples are 'wirtschaftliche Misere' (economic plight), 'soziale Misere' (social misery), or 'finanzielle Misere' (financial difficulty).
EXAMPLE
Die Regierung versucht, die soziale Misere in den Städten zu bekämpfen.
The government is trying to fight the social misery in the cities.
Fixed expressions
Common expressions with 'Misere' (plight/misery) use the preposition 'in' (in) or 'aus' (out of). You can say 'in der Misere stecken' (to be stuck in a plight) or 'jemandem aus der Misere helfen' (to help someone out of a difficult situation).
EXAMPLE
Viele kleine Unternehmen stecken wegen der Krise in einer tiefen Misere.
Many small businesses are stuck in deep trouble because of the crisis.
Ein unerwarteter Auftrag half der Firma aus der Misere.
An unexpected order helped the company out of its plight.
Compare with
Misere vs Elend
misery
Elend and Misere both refer to an extremely difficult situation involving hardship or suffering. Misere, however, more often suggests a deadlocked, unfortunate situation, while Elend places greater emphasis on concrete suffering or wretched living conditions. Misere often fits problems viewed as a situation, while Elend is more suitable for visible hardship.
Misere
Die neue Leitung muss die Misere des Vereins endlich beenden.
The new management must finally put an end to the club’s plight.
Elend
Die Helfer sahen das Elend der Familien nach der Überschwemmung.
The relief workers saw the misery of the families after the flood.
In real life
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