01
der Witwer
widower
A man whose wife has died and who has not remarried.
example
Seit dem Tod seiner Frau vor fünf Jahren ist er Witwer.
He has been a widower since his wife died five years ago.
der Witwer
widower
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word family
The word belongs to a small word family. The ending '-er' indicates the male person. The word is directly connected with the state of being widowed.
EXAMPLE
Er wurde schon in jungen Jahren zum Witwer.
He became a widower at a young age.
Sentence structure with 'sein' and 'werden'
You use 'ist Witwer' (is a widower) to describe the current state. To describe the beginning of this state, you use the construction 'Witwer werden' (to become a widower).
EXAMPLE
Mein Nachbar ist seit kurzem Witwer.
My neighbor has recently become a widower.
Register
'Witwer' (widower) is the formal and neutral term, also used in official documents. It describes a marital status.
EXAMPLE
Im Formular musste er seinen Familienstand als „Witwer“ angeben.
On the form, he had to state his marital status as 'Witwer' (widower).
Compare with
Witwer vs Witwe
widow
'die Witwe' and 'der Witwer' both describe a person whose spouse has died and who has not remarried. The difference is gender: a woman is a 'Witwe', a man is a 'Witwer'. Learners may confuse the words because they look very similar and describe the same family situation. Pay attention to the article and the ending: 'die Witwe' for a woman, 'der Witwer' for a man.
Witwer
Der Witwer besucht jeden Sonntag das Grab seiner Frau.
The widower visits his wife's grave every Sunday.
Witwe
Nach dem Tod ihres Mannes lebte die Witwe allein in der kleinen Wohnung.
After her husband's death, the widow lived alone in the small apartment.
In real life
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