German word

sterben

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈʃtɛɐ̯bən/

Meaning

  • verbdie

Example

Mein Großvater ist gestern gestorben.

My grandfather died yesterday.

Illustration for sterben (die)

More examples

Er ist vor Angst fast gestorben.

He almost died of fear.

Core concept

A living body crosses a final boundary and can no longer continue its life.

Common phrases

  • vor Angst sterben

    die of fear

  • vor Freude sterben

    die of joy

  • an Altersschwäche sterben

    die of old age

Similar words

versterben: A formal or respectful way to refer to someone's death.
einschlafen: A gentle figurative expression for a peaceful death.
umkommen: Death caused by an accident, disaster, or other dangerous event.
töten: The deliberate killing of a person or animal.

Definition in German

Das Leben eines Lebewesens endet; es hört auf zu leben.

Word origin

Sterben descends from Old High German sterban and belongs to a Germanic root also seen in Dutch sterven and English starve, whose meaning later narrowed.

Usage tips

  • The perfect tense uses sein, as in ist gestorben, and not haben.

Opposites

Related words

  • sterbenddyingadjective
  • das Sterbendyingnoun

Word lists with this word