German

verschiedene Formen des Lebens — different forms of life (2)

Noun

Leben n ‎(genitive Lebens, plural Leben)

1. life (state between birth and death).

   Das Leben beginnt mit der Geburt und endet mit dem Tod.‎ ― Life begins with birth and ends with death.

2. (biology) life (status possessed by organic entities such as animals, plants and bacteria, having properties as metabolism, adaption and replication).

   Die Erde quillt vor Leben über.‎ ― Earth is full of life.

3. biography, chain of events that determine or have determined one's life

   Das Leben der Edelgard.‎ ― The life (=biography) of Edelgard.

   Sein Leben weist viele Höhen und Tiefen auf.‎ ― There are many ups and downs in his life (=biography).

4. existence or life one has built, often manifested in wealth and prosperity

   Frau Schmidt hat sich ein beispielhaftes Leben in all diesen Jahren aufgebaut.‎ ― Mrs Schmidt has built up an exemplary life (=existence) in all these years.

   ein angenehmes Leben‎ ― a comfortable life (=existence)

   Lebensstandard‎ ― quality of life

5. life, precious or beloved thing that is part of someone's existence

   Sie ist mein Ein und Alles, mein Leben!‎ ― She is my one and only, my life!

6. (video games) life, numbers of times a game can be played

   Du hast nur noch drei Leben übrig.‎ ― You only have three lives left.

7. (video games) health, hit points
8. gerund of leben: "living" (no plural)

   Die Kunst des Lebens‎ ― The art of living.

Declension

Usage notes

When referring to life in its biological sense, the plural of Leben is not used. Lebensform or Lebewesen can be used to refer to a living being.

Synonyms

• (biography): Biographie f, Lebenslauf m, Curriculum Vitae n
• (the life/existence one has built): Dasein n, Existenz f

Antonyms

• (life, the state between birth and death): Tod m

Derived terms

Related terms

• Leib m
• leben

German

Verb

leben ‎(third-person singular simple present lebt, past tense lebte, past participle gelebt, auxiliary haben)

1. (intransitive) to live, to be alive
2. (intransitive) to dwell, to reside
   • 2010, Der Spiegel, issue 35/2010, page 102:

     Es leben etwa 300 000 Bürger des ehemaligen Jugoslawien in der Schweiz, kaum ein Staat hat damals im Verhältnis zu seiner Einwohnerzahl so viele Flüchtlinge aufgenommen.

     There are (=reside) about 300,000 citizens of the former Yugoslavia living in Switzerland, hardly any state took in so many refugees in relation to its population at that time.

   Ich lebe in der Schillerstraße in der Nähe des Stadtzentrums. - I live in the Schiller-street near the city's center.

3. (intransitive) to live, to exist, to occupy a place

   Die Dinosaurier lebten für Jahrmillionen auf der Erde bevor der Mensch erschien. - The dinosaurs existed on Earth for millions of years prior to the rise of man.

4. (intransitive, hyperbolic) To cope with, to live with, to deal with.

   Du wirst wohl damit leben müssen! - You'll have to cope with it!

   Jeder muss mit seinen eigenen Problemen leben! - Everybody has to deal with his own issues.

Conjugation

Derived terms

Related terms

• bleiben
• Leben
• lebendig
• Leib

Old High German

Etymology 1

Derived from the verb lebēn.

Noun

lebēn n

1. life

Descendants

• German: Leben

Etymology 2

From Proto-Germanic *libjaną, related to Old English libban, Old Norse lifa. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leip- ‎(“leave, cling, linger”).

Verb

lebēn

1. to live

Descendants

• German: leben