der / die  Kranke

B1

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈkʁaŋkə/

🤒 What does "der Kranke" / "die Kranke" mean?

The word Kranke is a nominalized adjective referring to a person who is ill or sick. Its article changes depending on the gender of the person:

• der Kranke: Refers to a male sick person (a sick man or boy).
• die Kranke: Refers to a female sick person (a sick woman or girl).

It's often used synonymously with "der Patient" / "die Patientin" (_patient_), but can also refer more generally to any sick person, not just in a medical context.

🚨 Important: Since it's a nominalized adjective (substantiviertes Adjektiv), it follows adjective declension rules. The form "Kranke" is the weak or mixed declension in the nominative singular.

🧐 Grammar of Kranke: Declension in Detail

Since "Kranke" is a nominalized adjective, it is declined like an adjective. The declension depends on whether a definite article (der/die), indefinite article (ein/eine), or no article is used.

Declension with Definite Article (Weak Declension)

Declension with Indefinite Article (Mixed Declension)

(Examples for Nominative Singular)

• Masculine: ein Kranker (a sick man)
• Feminine: eine Kranke (a sick woman)

Declension without Article (Strong Declension)

(Examples for Nominative Singular & Plural)

• Masculine: Kranker (e.g., as address: "Lieber Kranker," - Dear sick man,)
• Feminine: Kranke
• Plural: Kranke (sick people)

📝 Example Sentences

1. Der Kranke liegt im Bett und liest ein Buch.
   (The sick man is lying in bed reading a book.)
2. Die Ärztin untersucht die Kranke gründlich.
   (The female doctor examines the sick woman thoroughly.)
3. Wir müssen uns um die Kranken kümmern.
   (We have to take care of the sick people.)
4. Ist das der Kranke, von dem du gesprochen hast?
   (Is that the sick man you were talking about?)
5. Eine Kranke wurde gerade ins Krankenhaus eingeliefert.
   (A sick woman was just admitted to the hospital.)

💡 Everyday Usage

"Der Kranke" and "die Kranke" are used to talk or write about people suffering from an illness.

• General Use: Can refer to anyone feeling unwell or suffering from an illness, even outside a hospital or doctor's office. (Example: Die Suppe ist gut für Kranke. - Soup is good for sick people.)
• Medical Context: Often used synonymously with "Patient(in)", but can sometimes be perceived as slightly more general or less formal.
• Plural "die Kranken": Refers to a group of sick people. (Example: Das Krankenhaus hat eine spezielle Station für schwer Kranke. - The hospital has a special ward for seriously ill people.)

Comparison with Patient(in): While "Patient(in)" specifically denotes a person under medical treatment, "Kranke(r)" can be used more broadly. Sometimes "Kranke(r)" might feel a bit more direct.

🧠 Mnemonics and Memory Aids

For the article: Think of the natural gender: Der is for the male sick person, Die is for the female sick person. The noun form itself ends in '-e' for both in the nominative singular (weak/mixed declension), so rely on the article (der/die) to show the gender.

For the meaning: The word krank (sick) is right inside Kranke. Picture someone who is krank – that's der/die Kranke.

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms for Kranke

😂 A Little Joke

Fragt der Arzt den Kranken: "Haben Sie meinen Rat befolgt und nur bei geöffnetem Fenster geschlafen?"
Der Kranke: "Ja, Herr Doktor!"
Arzt: "Und, ist Ihr Schnupfen weg?"
Kranke: "Nein, aber mein Schreibtisch, mein Computer und mein Fernseher!"

--- Translation ---

The doctor asks the sick man: "Did you follow my advice and only sleep with the window open?"
The sick man: "Yes, doctor!"
Doctor: "And, is your cold gone?"
Sick man: "No, but my desk, my computer, and my television are!"

📜 Poem about Sick People

Im Bett liegt still der kranke Mann,
Die Decke wärmt, so gut sie kann.
Die Frau, die Kranke nebenan,
Träumt leis von einem Neubeginn.
Gesundheit ist das höchste Gut,
Das wünschen sich die Kranken mit viel Mut.

--- Translation ---

In bed lies still the sick man,
The blanket warms as best it can.
The woman, the sick one next door,
Quietly dreams of a new start once more.
Health is the greatest good,
The sick wish for it, brave and understood.

🧩 Riddle Time

Ich liege oft im Bett,
Fühle mich gar nicht nett.
Mal heiß, mal kalt ist mir,
Der Doktor kommt zu mir.

Bin ich ein Mann, sag "der ..." zu mir.
Bin ich 'ne Frau, sag "die ..." zu mir.

Wer bin ich? ... Der/Die Kranke

--- Translation ---

I often lie in bed,
Feeling quite unwell instead.
Sometimes hot, sometimes cold, I feel,
The doctor comes, my fate to seal.

If I'm a man, call me "der ...".
If I'm a woman, call me "die ...".

Who am I? ... The sick person (der/die Kranke)

💡 Other Information

Word Formation: As mentioned, "Kranke(r)" is a classic example of a substantiviertes Adjektiv (nominalized adjective). The adjective "krank" (sick) is used as a noun and capitalized, but it retains its adjectival declension pattern.

Usage in Fixed Phrases: Sometimes part of names for organizations or services, e.g., "Hilfe für Kranke" (Help for the Sick).