German Conversation · Level 62
74 words
German word
überleben
Pronunciation
IPA/ˌyːbɐˈleːbən/
Meaning
- verbsurvive
Example
Er überlebte den Unfall.
He survived the accident.
More examples
Viele Unternehmen haben finanzielle Schwierigkeiten überlebt.
Many companies survived financial difficulties.
Core concept
A person remains alive after danger has passed and may continue living beyond another person or event.
Common phrases
eine Pandemie überleben
survive a pandemic
finanzielle Schwierigkeiten überleben
survive financial difficulties
extreme Bedingungen überleben
survive extreme conditions
Similar words
überstehen: Get through a difficult event or illness without being overcome by it.
durchkommen: Manage to get through a difficult situation despite serious problems.
aushalten: Endure pain, strain, or hardship without giving in.
durchhalten: Keep going through hardship until a difficult task or period ends.
Definition in German
eine schwere Situation unbeschadet durchstehen und weiterexistieren oder weiterleben
Word origin
Überleben combines the Germanic prefix über-, meaning 'beyond', with leben, 'to live', forming the sense of living beyond a boundary.
Usage tips
- For surviving an event or outliving a person, überleben takes an accusative object, as in den Unfall or ihren Mann.
Other meanings
- outliveverb
Opposites
- untergehenperishverb
- sterbendieverb
Related words
- Überlebensratesurvival ratenoun
- Überlebensstrategiesurvival strategynoun
- Überlebendersurvivornoun