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Lebensgefahr
🚨 What does 'Lebensgefahr' mean?
Die Lebensgefahr describes a state or situation in which a person's life is immediately and seriously threatened. It represents the highest level of danger, where death is a possible outcome. In English, this translates to mortal danger, danger to life, or peril.
There is only one article for this word: die Lebensgefahr. It is a feminine noun.
🧐 Grammar of 'Lebensgefahr' in Detail
Die Lebensgefahr is a feminine noun. It is mostly used in the singular because it describes an abstract state. The plural form (die Lebensgefahren) is rare and refers to multiple specific situations where there was mortal danger.
Singular Declension
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (subject) | die | Lebensgefahr |
| Genitive (possessive) | der | Lebensgefahr |
| Dative (indirect object) | der | Lebensgefahr |
| Accusative (direct object) | die | Lebensgefahr |
Plural Declension - Rare
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Lebensgefahren |
| Genitive | der | Lebensgefahren |
| Dative | den | Lebensgefahren |
| Accusative | die | Lebensgefahren |
💡 Example Sentences
- Der Verletzte schwebt in Lebensgefahr.
(The injured person is in mortal danger / critical condition.) - Durch das schnelle Eingreifen der Ärzte bestand keine Lebensgefahr mehr.
(Thanks to the doctors' quick intervention, there was no longer any danger to life.) - Warnschilder wiesen auf die Lebensgefahr durch Steinschlag hin.
(Warning signs pointed out the mortal danger from falling rocks.) - Er brachte sich durch sein leichtsinniges Verhalten in Lebensgefahr.
(He put himself in mortal danger through his reckless behavior.)
🗣️ How to use 'Lebensgefahr'?
Lebensgefahr is used to describe very serious, potentially fatal situations. It's a strong word and should not be used lightly.
Typical contexts include:
- Medicine: Severe injuries after accidents, critical medical conditions. You often hear the phrases "in Lebensgefahr schweben" (to be in mortal danger / hover between life and death) or "außer Lebensgefahr sein" (to be out of danger).
- Disasters: Natural disasters (earthquakes, floods), fires, structural collapses.
- Warnings: Signs indicating hazards (e.g., high voltage, minefields, unsecured edges).
- Law/Police: In relation to crimes that threaten life (e.g., attempted murder).
Compared to Gefahr (danger), Lebensgefahr is the more specific and extreme form, explicitly emphasizing the threat to life.
🧠 Mnemonics and Memory Aids
Article Mnemonic
Remember that Gefahr (danger) is feminine: die Gefahr. Since Lebensgefahr is a specific type of danger (for life), it keeps the same article: die. Think: The danger to life is die Lebensgefahr.
Meaning Mnemonic
Imagine your Leben (life) is hanging by a thread – that's the ultimate Gefahr (danger). So: Leben + Gefahr = Lebensgefahr. The ultimate threat.
🔄 Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms (Similar Meaning)
- Todesgefahr: (Mortal danger/danger of death) Very similar, perhaps emphasizing the fatal outcome even more.
- Akute Gefahr: (Acute danger) Can mean mortal danger, but also other serious, immediate dangers.
- Tödliche Bedrohung: (Deadly threat) A threat that can lead to death.
- Ernste Gefahr: (Serious danger) More general, but often used in the context of mortal danger.
Antonyms (Opposites)
- Sicherheit: (Safety, security) Absence of danger.
- Geborgenheit: (Security, feeling of safety) A feeling of being safe and protected.
- Ungefährlichkeit: (Harmlessness) The state of having no danger.
- Stabilität: (Stability) Often refers to a stable health condition (no longer in mortal danger).
⚠️ Note: Words like Risiko (risk) or Wagnis (venture, gamble) describe the possibility of danger, but not necessarily acute mortal danger.
😂 A Little Joke
Warum nehmen Skelette keine Medikamente, wenn sie 'in Lebensgefahr' schweben?
(Why don't skeletons take medicine when they are in 'mortal danger'?)
Weil sie keine Organe mehr haben, die versagen könnten! 😉
(Because they don't have any organs left that could fail!)
📜 Poem about Lebensgefahr
Wo Schatten lauern, kalt und schroff,
Ein falscher Tritt, ein jäher Stoff.
Das Herz rast schnell, der Atem flach,
Die Lebensgefahr hält uns wach.
Sie mahnt zur Vorsicht, leis' und laut,
Auf dünnem Eis, kaum anvertraut.
Ein Zustand ernst, voll Bangen schwer,
Das Leben schützend, immer mehr.
Where shadows lurk, cold and sheer,
A wrong step taken, sudden fear.
The heart beats fast, the breath drawn slight,
Die Lebensgefahr keeps us alert day and night.
It warns to caution, soft and loud,
On thinning ice, barely avowed.
A state severe, with heavy dread,
Protecting life, instead.
🧩 Little Riddle
Ich bin kein Tier, doch hab' ich Zähne,
Die nagen oft an Lebenssträhne.
Ich bin ein Zustand, ernst und schwer,
Bringt Ärzte oft in Hast daher.
Man schwebt in mir, wenn's kritisch wird,
Und hofft, dass man mich schnell verwirft.
Was bin ich?
I am no beast, yet I have teeth,
That often gnaw on life's own wreath.
I am a state, both grave and grim,
That brings doctors rushing, limb by limb.
One hovers in me when things turn dire,
And hopes that I will soon retire.
What am I?
Solution: Die Lebensgefahr (Mortal danger)
⚙️ Word Composition and More
The word Lebensgefahr is a compound noun, composed of:
- Leben: Meaning life, existence.
- -s-: A linking 's' (Fugen-s) connecting the two parts (Lebens).
- Gefahr: Meaning danger, threat, risk of harm.
Together, the meaning is clearly: Danger to life.
Interestingly, the term is frequently used in news reports and medical contexts, giving it high visibility in the language, even though most people, fortunately, rarely encounter it directly.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Lebensgefahr?
The German word Lebensgefahr is a feminine noun and always takes the article die. It describes a serious threat to a person's life, meaning mortal danger or danger to life.