das Mitleid
pity / compassion
The feeling of sympathy and compassion for another person's suffering or misfortune.
EXAMPLE
Als sie seine traurige Geschichte hörte, empfand sie tiefes Mitleid.
When she heard his sad story, she felt deep compassion.
das Mitleid
pity / compassion
das Mitleid
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Meanings
Mitleid haben mit
to feel pity for
A fixed construction used to express that one feels pity for someone.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe Mitleid mit den Menschen, die ihr Zuhause verloren haben.
I feel pity for the people who have lost their homes.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Mitleid, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | neuter das |
|---|---|
| genitive | des Mitleids |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | das Mitleid | – |
| accusative | das Mitleid | – |
| dative | dem Mitleid | – |
| genitive | des Mitleids des Mitleides | – |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Word composition
The word 'Mitleid' (pity/compassion) is made up of 'mit' (with) and 'Leid' (suffering). So it literally means sharing in another person's suffering emotionally.
EXAMPLE
Sein Gesichtsausdruck zeigte echtes Mitleid.
His facial expression showed genuine compassion.
Typical verbs
Besides 'Mitleid haben' (to have pity), the noun is often combined with other verbs that express a feeling. Common phrases are 'Mitleid empfinden' (to feel pity), 'Mitleid fühlen' (to feel pity), or 'Mitleid zeigen' (to show compassion).
EXAMPLE
Er konnte kein Mitleid für den Betrüger empfinden.
He could not feel any pity for the fraudster.
Sie zeigte ihr Mitleid durch eine Umarmung.
She showed her compassion with a hug.
Use as a reason
The preposition 'aus' (out of) is often used with 'Mitleid' (pity/compassion) to state the reason for an action. The construction is 'aus Mitleid etwas tun' (to do something out of pity).
EXAMPLE
Er hat dem Obdachlosen aus Mitleid etwas Geld gegeben.
He gave the homeless man some money out of pity.
Construction with dative
The fixed expression 'Mitleid haben mit' (to feel pity for) always requires the preposition 'mit' (with), followed by a person or thing in the dative.
EXAMPLE
Wir haben großes Mitleid mit den Opfern der Flutkatastrophe.
We feel great compassion for the victims of the flood disaster.
Compare with
Mitleid vs Mitgefühl
compassion
Mitleid and Mitgefühl both refer to feeling sympathy for a person's suffering. Mitleid focuses more on the person's unfortunate situation and can sound more detached. Mitgefühl emphasizes empathizing with the person's feelings. If you want to express empathetic understanding, Mitgefühl is usually the better choice.
Mitleid
Als Paul von ihrer schwierigen Lage hörte, empfand er Mitleid mit ihr.
When Paul heard about her difficult situation, he felt pity for her.
Mitgefühl
Als Paul mit ihr über ihre Gefühle sprach, zeigte er tiefes Mitgefühl.
When Paul talked with her about her feelings, he showed deep compassion.
In real life
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