der  Schweregrad

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈʃveːʁəˌɡʁaːt/

💡 What does "der Schweregrad" mean?

The German noun der Schweregrad refers to the degree, intensity, or level of something, especially of difficulties, illnesses, injuries, or errors. It's a measure of how pronounced something is.

The word is composed of schwer (meaning serious, difficult, intense) and Grad (meaning degree, level, scale).

It exclusively uses the masculine article: der Schweregrad.

📜 Grammar of Schweregrad in Detail

The noun "Schweregrad" is masculine.

Example Sentences

1. Der Arzt bestimmte den Schweregrad der Verletzung. (The doctor determined the severity level of the injury.)
2. Je nach Schweregrad des Fehlers müssen unterschiedliche Maßnahmen ergriffen werden. (Depending on the severity of the error, different measures must be taken.)
3. Es gibt verschiedene Schweregrade von Verbrennungen. (There are different degrees of severity for burns.)
4. Der Schweregrad der Aufgabe war unerwartet hoch. (The difficulty level of the task was unexpectedly high.)

🗣️ How is "Schweregrad" used?

"Schweregrad" is used to express a gradation or classification of intensity or difficulty. Common contexts include:

• Medicine: Describing the extent of an illness, injury, or disability (e.g., Schweregrad einer Depression - severity of depression, Schweregrad einer Verbrennung - severity of a burn).
• Technology & IT: Classifying errors (bugs), problems, or risks (e.g., Schweregrad eines Softwarefehlers - severity of a software bug).
• Assessments: Evaluating the difficulty level of tasks, exams, or situations.
• Environment: Describing the intensity of natural events (e.g., Schweregrad eines Erdbebens - severity of an earthquake).

It's a rather formal word that implies precision in assessment.

🧠 Mnemonics and Memory Aids

Article Mnemonic: Think of "der Grad" (the degree/level). Many German words ending in "-grad" are masculine. Thus, it's der Schweregrad.

Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine something being weighed. The schwerer (heavier) it is, the higher its 'degree' or 'level' on the scale – its Schweregrad (severity level).

↔️ Synonyms and Antonyms

⚠️ Note: While "Grad" is part of "Schweregrad", Schweregrad is more specific, referring to the degree of difficulty or seriousness, not just any general scale.

😂 A Little Joke

Fragt der Arzt den Programmierer: "Auf einer Skala von 1 bis 10, wie hoch ist der Schweregrad Ihres Problems?"
Antwortet der Programmierer: "Ist das eine lineare oder logarithmische Skala? Und ist 10 das Maximum oder gibt es noch einen Schweregrad 'fatal'?"

Translation: The doctor asks the programmer: "On a scale of 1 to 10, what is the severity level of your problem?"
The programmer replies: "Is that a linear or logarithmic scale? And is 10 the maximum, or is there also a severity level 'fatal'?"

✒️ Poem about the Word

Der Schmerz, die Prüfung, das Problem,
Mal leicht, mal äußerst unbequem.
Man misst es, stuft es sorgsam ein,
Der Schweregrad, mal groß, mal klein.
In Medizin, bei Bug und Test,
Hält er die Skala eisern fest.

Translation:
The pain, the test, the problem's theme,
Sometimes light, sometimes extreme.
It's measured, graded carefully,
The severity level, large or wee.
In medicine, for bug and test,
It holds the scale, puts to the test.

❓ A Little Riddle

Ich messe, wie schlimm etwas ist,
ob Krankheit, Fehler oder Zwist.
Auf Skalen werd' ich oft gezeigt,
von leicht bis zu dem, was Sorgen geigt.

Was bin ich?

Translation:
I measure how bad something is, you see,
Be it illness, error, or a plea.
On scales, I'm often displayed,
From mild up to what makes afraid.

What am I?

Solution: Der Schweregrad (The severity level)

🔍 Further Details

Word Composition: The word is a compound noun formed from the adjective schwer (here meaning 'serious', 'grave') and the noun der Grad (degree, level, scale).

Use in Scales: Der Schweregrad is often used in standardized scales, e.g., for classifying hurricanes (category), assessing credit risks, or in hospital triage.