01
die Wunde
wound
An injury to the body in which the skin or tissue is damaged by an external force.
example
Der Arzt hat die Wunde gereinigt und einen Verband angelegt.
The doctor cleaned the wound and applied a bandage.
die Wunde
wound
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Context clue
The context tells you whether a physical or emotional injury is meant. Words like 'Arzt' (doctor), 'Haut' (skin), or 'bluten' (to bleed) point to the physical wound, while 'Herz' (heart), 'Seele' (soul), or 'Verrat' (betrayal) refer to the figurative, emotional meaning.
EXAMPLE
Er hat eine kleine Wunde am Knie, die aber nicht schlimm ist.
He has a small wound on his knee, but it's not serious.
Typical collocations
In a medical context, a wound is often 'versorgt' (treated), 'gereinigt' (cleaned), 'desinfiziert' (disinfected), or 'genäht' (stitched). When it gets better, you say that the wound 'heilt' (heals).
EXAMPLE
Die Wunde muss regelmäßig desinfiziert werden, damit sie gut heilt.
The wound has to be disinfected regularly so that it heals well.
Fixed expressions
The emotional meaning is often used in fixed expressions. Well-known ones include 'alte Wunden aufreißen' (to reopen old wounds) or the proverb 'Die Zeit heilt alle Wunden' (time heals all wounds).
EXAMPLE
Das Gespräch über die Vergangenheit hat nur alte Wunden aufgerissen.
The conversation about the past only reopened old wounds.
Compare with
Wunde vs Schmerz
pain
'der Schmerz' and 'die Wunde' can both be meant physically or emotionally. 'Schmerz' is the unpleasant feeling you sense, for example after an injury or in grief. 'Wunde' is the injury itself, that is, a damaged place on the body. Figuratively, 'Wunde' can also be an emotionally painful point. The words can be confused because a wound often causes pain. The important point is: the wound is the injury; the pain is the feeling.
Wunde
Die Ärztin reinigt die Wunde, damit sie sich nicht entzündet.
The doctor cleans the wound so that it does not become infected.
Schmerz
Nach dem Sturz hatte Tom einen starken Schmerz im Knie.
After the fall, Tom had severe pain in his knee.
In real life
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