der  Verlust

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/fɛɐ̯ˈlʊst/

📉 What does 'der Verlust' mean?

Der Verlust (noun, masculine) refers to the absence or reduction of something previously possessed, or the painful absence of a person.

• Material loss: Losing money, property, or other material assets (e.g., finanzieller Verlust - financial loss, Datenverlust - data loss).
• Intangible/Emotional loss: Losing a person through death or separation (Verlust eines geliebten Menschen - loss of a loved one), or the loss of abilities, reputation, trust, etc.
• Military context: Losses of soldiers or material in a conflict.

🚨 There is only one article for Verlust: der. The word is always masculine.

🧐 Grammar of 'der Verlust' in Detail

The noun "Verlust" is masculine. Here are the declension tables:

Note on Genitive Singular: Both forms ("Verlustes" and "Verlusts") are correct, "Verlustes" is slightly more common.

Note on Dative Singular: The form "Verluste" is archaic or elevated; "Verlust" is usually used.

Example Sentences

1. Das Unternehmen musste hohe Verluste hinnehmen.
   (The company had to accept heavy losses.)
2. Der Verlust seines Arbeitsplatzes war ein schwerer Schlag.
   (The loss of his job was a severe blow.)
3. Sie trauert um den Verlust ihrer Katze.
   (She mourns the loss of her cat.)
4. Trotz des schmerzlichen Verlustes blickt er nach vorn.
   (Despite the painful loss, he looks ahead.)

💡 How to use 'Verlust'?

"Verlust" is a common word used in various contexts:

• Business & Finance: Often related to balance sheets, investments, or business results (e.g., Gewinn und Verlust - profit and loss, Verluste machen/erleiden - to make/suffer losses).
• Personal Life: Describing the pain of death or separation from loved ones (e.g., ein schmerzlicher Verlust - a painful loss, der Verlust der Heimat - the loss of one's homeland).
• Everyday Life: Losing objects (e.g., der Verlust des Schlüssels - the loss of the key) or abstract things (e.g., Zeitverlust - loss of time, Vertrauensverlust - loss of trust, Gedächtnisverlust - memory loss).
• Sports: A defeat is sometimes called a Verlust, although Niederlage (defeat) is more common.

Comparison:

• Verlust vs. Schaden: A Schaden (damage) often refers to the damage to something, while a Verlust (loss) refers to the complete absence or reduction of something. You can suffer a financial Verlust caused by the Schaden to your car.
• Verlust vs. Einbuße: Einbuße (loss, reduction) is a synonym, often used in a financial context, emphasizing the reduction (e.g., Gehaltseinbuße - salary cut/reduction).

🧠 Mnemonics for 'der Verlust'

For the article (der): Think of other negative concepts that are masculine in German: der Schmerz (pain), der Kummer (grief), der Ärger (anger). Loss often involves these feelings, so it's also der Verlust.

For the meaning (loss): The word sounds a bit like "ver-lost". If you have ver-lost something, you have experienced a Verlust.

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

⚠️ Be careful: Words like "Verschwendung" (waste) also imply a kind of loss, but specifically through improper use, not necessarily due to external circumstances or fate.

😄 A Little Joke

Warum hat der Mathematiker nach dem Verlust seines Taschenrechners geweint?
Er konnte nicht mehr mit Verlusten rechnen!

(Why did the mathematician cry after losing his calculator?
He couldn't count on losses anymore! / He couldn't calculate with losses anymore! - It's a pun on 'rechnen mit', which means 'to calculate with' or 'to count on/expect'.)

📜 Poem about Loss

Ein Riss im Herzen, tief und kalt,
der Verlust nimmt schmerzlich Gestalt.
Was war, ist fort, ein leerer Raum,
verloren wie ein schöner Traum.
Doch Zeit heilt Wunden, sagt man sacht,
auch wenn die Trauer nie ganz lacht.

(A tear in the heart, deep and cold,
The loss painfully takes hold.
What was, is gone, an empty space,
Lost like a beautiful dream's trace.
But time heals wounds, they softly say,
Even if sorrow doesn't fully go away.)

🧩 Riddle

Ich kann Geld sein, das verschwand,
ein Freund, der ging aus deiner Hand.
Ich bringe Tränen, Schmerz und Leid,
bin das Gegenteil von Freud'.
Ich bin maskulin, mein Artikel ist 'der'.
Was bin ich schwer?

(I can be money that disappeared,
A friend who left your hand, endeared.
I bring tears, pain, and sorrow,
Am the opposite of joy's morrow.
I am masculine, my article is 'der'.
What am I, causing despair?)

Solution: Der Verlust (The Loss)

🌐 More Info

Word Formation:

The noun "Verlust" is derived from the verb "verlieren" (to lose). It's a nominalization.

• verlieren (verb) → der Verlust (noun)

Common compound words include:

• Gewinn-und-Verlust-Rechnung (profit and loss statement)
• Datenverlust (data loss)
• Arbeitsplatzverlust (job loss)
• Blutverlust (blood loss)
• Gewichtsverlust (weight loss)