die Wehe
contraction
A painful tightening of the uterus, especially during childbirth. The word is usually used in the plural.
EXAMPLE
Die Wehen kommen jetzt alle fünf Minuten.
The contractions are now coming every five minutes.
die Wehe
contraction / drift
das Wehe
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
in den Wehen liegen
to undergo birth pangs
Figuratively, 'in den Wehen liegen' (to undergo birth pangs) means to be in a difficult phase of development or preparation.
EXAMPLE
Das neue Theaterstück liegt noch in den Wehen.
The new play is still undergoing birth pangs.
die Wehe
drift
A pile of snow or sand blown together by the wind.
EXAMPLE
Der Wind hatte vor der Haustür eine hohe Wehe aufgetürmt.
The wind had piled up a high drift in front of the door.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Wehe, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance (das)
| gender | neuter das |
|---|---|
| genitive | des Wehes |
The four cases (das)
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | das Wehe | – |
| accusative | das Wehe | – |
| dative | dem Wehe | – |
| genitive | des Wehes | – |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
At a glance (die)
| gender | feminine die |
|---|---|
| plural | die Wehen |
| genitive | der Wehe |
The four cases (die)
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | die Wehe | die Wehen |
| accusative | die Wehe | die Wehen |
| dative | der Wehe | den Wehen |
| genitive | der Wehe | der Wehen |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
At a glance (die)
| gender | feminine die |
|---|---|
| plural | die Wehen |
| genitive | der Wehe |
The four cases (die)
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | die Wehe | die Wehen |
| accusative | die Wehe | die Wehen |
| dative | der Wehe | den Wehen |
| genitive | der Wehe | der Wehen |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Typical collocations
In the childbirth sense, 'Wehe' (contraction) often appears in phrases such as 'Wehen haben' (to have contractions), 'Wehen einsetzen' (contractions start), and 'Wehen kommen' (contractions come). People also often describe how regular or strong the contractions are.
EXAMPLE
Kurz nach Mitternacht setzten regelmäßige Wehen ein.
Regular contractions started shortly after midnight.
Figurative use
In the fixed expression 'in den Wehen liegen' (to undergo birth pangs), the subject is usually a project, a creative work, or a change that is not yet complete. The expression uses childbirth as a metaphor for a difficult process of development.
EXAMPLE
Die Reform des Schulsystems liegt seit Jahren in den Wehen.
The reform of the school system has been undergoing birth pangs for years.
In real life
Loading video examples...