01
der Suizid
suicide
The act in which a person intentionally ends their own life; self-killing.
example
Die hohe Zahl der Suizide in dieser Altersgruppe ist alarmierend.
The high number of suicides in this age group is alarming.
der Suizid
suicide
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Typical collocation
The most important and most common collocation is 'Suizid begehen' (to die by suicide / to commit suicide). This verb is used as the standard way in German to express the action.
EXAMPLE
Es ist eine Tragödie, wenn ein junger Mensch Suizid begeht.
It is a tragedy when a young person dies by suicide.
Register
'Suizid' (suicide) is the neutral, medical, and legal term. It is used in the news, in science, and in official contexts.
EXAMPLE
Die Statistik erfasst alle Suizide des letzten Jahres.
The statistics record all suicides from last year.
Word structure
The word comes from Latin: 'sui' means 'of oneself' and 'caedere' means 'to kill'. The literal meaning is therefore 'Selbsttötung' (self-killing), which helps you remember the word.
EXAMPLE
Der Begriff Suizid wurde im 18. Jahrhundert geprägt.
The term suicide was coined in the 18th century.
Other expressions
Besides 'Suizid begehen' (to die by suicide / to commit suicide), there are also other fixed expressions, for example 'jemanden in den Suizid treiben' (to drive someone to suicide), or expressions used in connection with statistics such as 'die Suizidrate' (the suicide rate).
EXAMPLE
Mobbing kann Menschen in den Suizid treiben.
Bullying can drive people to suicide.
Compare with
Suizid vs Selbstmord
suicide
'der Selbstmord' and 'der Suizid' both mean that a person intentionally ends their own life. 'Suizid' sounds more neutral and is often used in medicine, counseling, the media, or official texts. 'Selbstmord' is familiar in everyday language, but it can sound harsher or more judgmental because it contains 'Mord' (murder). For that reason, many people today prefer 'Suizid'. Learners may confuse the words because they are very similar in meaning. The fixed expression is also important: people often say 'Suizid begehen' (to die by suicide).
Suizid
Nach dem Suizid bietet die Schule den Schülern Gespräche mit Fachleuten an.
After the suicide, the school offers students conversations with specialists.
Selbstmord
Der Artikel spricht vorsichtig über den Selbstmord eines bekannten Musikers.
The article discusses the suicide of a well-known musician carefully.
In real life
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