survivor
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survivor
A person who has lived through a life-threatening event such as an accident, a disaster, a war, or a serious illness.
Als einziger Überlebender des Flugzeugabsturzes konnte er den Rettungskräften berichten, was passiert war.
As the only survivor of the plane crash, he was able to tell the rescue workers what had happened.
The word is a nominalized form of the present participle of the inseparable verb 'überleben' (to survive). So it describes a person who is currently surviving or has survived.
Das Verb „überleben“ ist nicht trennbar: Sie überlebte das Unglück.
The verb 'überleben' (to survive) is not separable: She survived the accident.
This noun is declined like an adjective. The ending changes depending on the article and case. Pay attention to the different forms.
Der Überlebende konnte sich an nichts erinnern.
The survivor could not remember anything.
The genitive or the preposition 'von' (of/from) is often used to specify what the person survived. A very typical combination is also 'der einzige Überlebende' (the only survivor).
Er ist ein Überlebender des Holocaust.
He is a survivor of the Holocaust.
dead person
'der Tote' and 'der Überlebender' are clear opposites. A dead person is someone who has died. A survivor is someone who has lived through a dangerous situation and is still alive. Both words are often used after accidents, disasters, wars, or serious illnesses. The important difference is the outcome: 'der Tote' did not survive, while 'der Überlebender' did.
Am Montag sprach die Ärztin lange mit dem Überlebenden des Brandes.
On Monday, the doctor spoke at length with the survivor of the fire.
Nach dem Unfall wurde ein Toter aus dem Auto geborgen.
After the accident, one dead person was recovered from the car.