die  Sterblichkeit

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈʃtɛʁbɪçkaɪ̯t/

🌍 What does 'die Sterblichkeit' mean?

Die Sterblichkeit is a German noun that translates to mortality in English. It refers to the state or condition of being mortal, i.e., subject to death. It's the opposite of immortality (die Unsterblichkeit).

It's an abstract noun, mostly used in the singular, often appearing in philosophical, religious, medical, or demographic contexts.

• Main meaning: The fact or quality of being subject to death; the transience of life.
• More specific meaning (Medicine/Demography): Also used in the sense of mortality rate (e.g., Säuglingssterblichkeit - infant mortality, Müttersterblichkeit - maternal mortality). In this statistical sense, a plural form (die Sterblichkeiten) can occasionally be used to refer to different rates, but this is rare.

🚨 Be careful: Don't confuse it with Tödlichkeit (lethality), which describes the quality of a disease or substance being potentially deadly.

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar Deep Dive: Die Sterblichkeit

The word 'Sterblichkeit' is a feminine noun. The correct article is die. It is mostly used in the singular form.

💡 Example Sentences

1. Die Erkenntnis der eigenen Sterblichkeit kann beängstigend sein.
   (Realizing one's own mortality can be frightening.)
2. Philosophen haben sich seit jeher mit der menschlichen Sterblichkeit auseinandergesetzt.
   (Philosophers have always dealt with human mortality.)
3. Die hohe Säuglingssterblichkeit in dieser Region ist besorgniserregend.
   (The high infant mortality rate in this region is alarming.)
4. Man muss sich seiner Sterblichkeit bewusst werden, um das Leben wertzuschätzen.
   (One must become aware of one's mortality to appreciate life.)

🗣️ How to use 'Sterblichkeit'?

The term die Sterblichkeit is used in various fields:

• Philosophy & Religion: Discussing the fundamental finiteness of human life and how people cope with it (e.g., in the context of finding meaning, belief in an afterlife).
• Literature & Art: A common motif to address themes like transience, loss, and the human condition.
• Medicine & Demography: Here, 'Sterblichkeit' often refers to statistical measures like the mortality rate (Mortalität) in a specific population group or due to a particular disease (e.g., Kindersterblichkeit - child mortality, Krebssterblichkeit - cancer mortality).
• Everyday language: Less common, but can be used to emphasize the general fact that all living beings must die.

Related terms:

• Vergänglichkeit: (Transience) Very similar, but emphasizes the aspect of passing away and being temporary.
• Endlichkeit: (Finiteness) Emphasizes the existence of an end, not only related to life.
• Mortalität: (Mortality) Technical term (often in medicine/statistics) for mortality or death rate.

🧠 Mnemonics and Memory Aids

Remembering the article: Nouns ending in -keit are almost always feminine (die). Think of other common examples like die Möglichkeit (possibility), die Schnelligkeit (speed), die Einsamkeit (loneliness)... and thus die Sterblichkeit. The ending -keit acts like a queen – feminine!

Remembering the meaning: Think of stars (Sterne in German, related to Ster-blichkeit) 'dying' or fading in the sky. This reminds you that everything is transient and subject to an end – which is the essence of Sterblichkeit (mortality).

🔄 Synonyms and Antonyms

⚠️ Similar, but distinct words

• Tödlichkeit (Letalität): (Lethality) The quality (e.g., of a disease, dose) of being potentially able to cause death. Die Sterblichkeit is the quality of the living being, its capacity to die.

😂 A Little Joke

Warum hat der Sensenmann nie Stress bei der Arbeit?
Weil er weiß, dass seine Kunden früher oder später sowieso alle kommen – die Sterblichkeit ist halt garantiert! 😄

(Why is the Grim Reaper never stressed at work?
Because he knows all his clients will show up sooner or later anyway – mortality is guaranteed! 😄)

📜 A Short Poem

Die Zeit verrinnt, ein leiser Fluss,
Erinnert uns an den Beschluss,
Dass alles Leben, groß und klein,
Muss einmal nicht mehr sein.
Die Sterblichkeit, ein Schatten klar,
Macht jeden Augenblick erst wahr.

(Time flows on, a quiet stream,
Reminds us of the final scheme,
That every life, both large and small,
Must one day cease to stand up tall.
Mortality, a shadow clear,
Makes every moment truly dear.)

❓ A Little Riddle

Ich bin das Los für Mensch und Tier,
Kein König flieht, kein Bettler mir.
Philosophen denken über mich nach,
Statistiker messen mich Tag für Tag.
Mein Gegenteil ist ein alter Traum,
Ich bin das Ende in Zeit und Raum.

Was bin ich?

(I am the fate of man and beast,
No king escapes, no beggar flees me, not the least.
Philosophers ponder me deep in thought,
Statisticians measure me, lessons taught.
My opposite is an ancient dream,
I am the end in time's vast stream.

What am I?)

(Answer: die Sterblichkeit / mortality)

⚙️ Word Details & Trivia

Word Composition:

The word 'Sterblichkeit' is derived from the adjective sterblich (mortal) and the suffix -keit. The suffix '-keit' is used to form nouns from adjectives (like 'sterblich'), describing a quality or state.

• sterblich (adjective: subject to death)
• -keit (suffix for forming feminine nouns denoting a quality or state)

Trivia:

In demography, the Sterblichkeitsrate (mortality rate) is often used as a key indicator of the health and living conditions of a population. Different types are distinguished, such as Säuglingssterblichkeit (infant mortality), Kindersterblichkeit (child mortality), Müttersterblichkeit (maternal mortality), etc.