sterben

See also: Sterben

German

Etymology

From Middle High German sterben, from Old High German sterban, from Proto-Germanic *sterbaną, itself either from Proto-Indo-European *(s)terp- (“to lose force; lose sensibility, become numb; be dead, be motionless”) or from Proto-Indo-European *sterbʰ- (“to be stiff, become stiff”). Cognate with Low German starven, staarven, Dutch sterven, West Frisian stjerre, English starve.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʃtɛʁbən/, [ˈʃtɛʁbən], [ˈʃtɛɐ̯bən], [ˈʃtɛʁbm̩], [ˈʃtɛɐ̯bm̩]
• Hyphenation: ster‧ben

• audio (Germany):

  (file)

• audio (Austria):

  (file)

Verb

1. (intransitive) to die

   Mein Hund ist gestorben. – “My dog has died.”

2. (transitive, with accusative or genitive) to die of a (particular kind of) death

   Das Opfer ist einen schrecklichen Tod gestorben.

   Das Opfer ist eines schrecklichen Todes gestorben.

   “The victim died a terrible death.”

Derived terms

• Sterbealter
• Sterbensforschung
• Sterbejahr
• Sterbenskrank
• Sterben n
  • Massensterben
• sterblich
• Hungers sterben

See also

• Tod m
• tot (adjective)

Further reading

• “sterben” in Duden online