motherhood / maternity leave
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motherhood
The state of being a mother, with all its biological, social, and emotional aspects.
Die Mutterschaft ist für viele Frauen eine tiefgreifende und lebensverändernde Erfahrung.
For many women, motherhood is a profound and life-changing experience.
The word is made up of 'Mutter' (mother) and the ending '-schaft' (-ship/-hood). The ending '-schaft' forms abstract nouns and describes a state or a community; here, the state of being a mother.
Die Freundschaft zwischen den beiden ist sehr eng.
The friendship between the two of them is very close.
'Mutterschaft' (motherhood/maternity leave) belongs to a word family around 'die Mutter' (the mother). This also includes 'der Mutterschutz' (legal protection for mothers/maternity protection), 'das Mutterschaftsgeld' (maternity benefit), and the adjective 'mütterlich' (motherly/maternal).
Während des Mutterschutzes darf sie nicht arbeiten.
During maternity protection, she is not allowed to work.
You can often recognize the legal meaning (maternity protection) from phrases that refer to work and legal regulations. Typical expressions are 'in Mutterschaft gehen' (to go on maternity leave) or 'während der Mutterschaft' (during maternity leave).
Meine Kollegin geht nächste Woche in Mutterschaft.
My colleague is going on maternity leave next week.
pregnancy
'Schwangerschaft' and 'Mutterschaft' are both connected to a child and the role of the mother, but they mean different things. 'Schwangerschaft' is the time during which a woman carries a child in her body. 'Mutterschaft' means the state of being a mother, so it also includes the time after birth. In legal or workplace-related texts, 'Mutterschaft' can also mean the protected period around the birth. Learners can confuse the words because both often appear before and after a birth. The important point is: pregnancy ends with birth; motherhood is not just a medical condition, but describes the role of being a mother.
In dem Kurs geht es darum, wie sich Beruf und Mutterschaft besser vereinbaren lassen.
The course is about how work and motherhood can be made easier to balance.
Nico spricht bei der Arbeit offen über die Schwangerschaft seiner Frau.
At work, Nico talks openly about his wife's pregnancy.