German Life Stages & Ageing Vocabulary
This set covers the vocabulary of a life story: der Erwachsene (adult), die Jugend (youth), and das Alter (old age/age), plus the words German uses to describe generations and time passing. One trap here is der Jugendliche and der Erwachsene: these look like normal nouns but actually decline like adjectives, so you get ein Jugendlicher but der Jugendliche, and die Erwachsenen in the plural. Another surprise is die Senioren, which is plural-only in this everyday sense (elderly people as a group), not a singular "senior" you'd use for one person the way English does.
Learn these 21 words
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All 21 words
- altA1
old
Wie alt sind Sie? — How old are you?
plural: die Alter
age
Alter: 26 Jahre. — Age: 26 years.
plural: die Erwachsenen
adult
Dieser Film ist nur für Erwachsene. — This film is only for adults.
- geborenA1
born
Ich bin in Zagreb geboren. — I was born in Zagreb.
plural: die Geburtsjahre
birth year
Das Geburtsjahr Ihres Sohnes, bitte? — The birth year of your son, please?
plural: die Jugendlichen
teenager
Viele Jugendliche kaufen gern ein. — Many teenagers like to shop.
- jungA1
young
Claudia ist 21. – Was? Noch so jung? — Claudia is 21. – What? Still so young?
to be born
Wann und wo sind Sie geboren? — When and where were you born?
plural: die Generationen
generation
In diesem Haus wohnen drei Generationen zusammen. — Three generations live together in this house.
youth
In meiner Jugend habe ich mich sehr für Musik interessiert. — In my youth I was very interested in music.
plural: die Kindheiten
childhood
In meiner Kindheit war ich oft auf dem Land bei meinen Großeltern. — In my childhood I was often in the countryside with my grandparents.
elderly people
Dieser Computerkurs ist für Senioren. — This computer course is for elderly people.
plural: die Erwachsenen
adult
Der Erwachsene trägt Verantwortung für sein Leben. — The adult bears responsibility for his life.
plural: die Jugendlichen
youth/young person
Der Jugendliche geht gerne ins Kino mit seinen Freunden. — The young person likes going to the cinema with his friends.
plural: die Lebensabschnitte
the stage of life
Jeder Lebensabschnitt hat seine Besonderheiten. — Each stage of life has its peculiarities.
life expectancy
Die Lebenserwartung ist in diesem Land hoch. — Life expectancy is high in this country.
plural: die Lebensspannen
a lifespan
Die Lebensspanne eines Menschen beträgt etwa achtzig Jahre. — The lifespan of a human is about eighty years.
maturity
Mit zunehmendem Alter kam die emotionale Reife. — With advancing age came emotional maturity.
bastard / illegitimate
Sein unehelich geborener Sohn wurde später anerkannt. — His illegitimate son was later recognized.
plural: die Greise
an old man
Der Greis saß auf der Bank im Park. — The old man sat on the bench in the park.
widowed
Die verwitmete Frau trauerte um ihren Mann. — The widowed woman mourned her husband.
How to learn this set
Group der Erwachsene and der Jugendliche together first and drill their adjective-style endings across cases (der Jugendliche, den Jugendlichen, ein Jugendlicher) rather than memorizing them as fixed nouns. Notice the shared Leben- root in der Lebensabschnitt, die Lebenserwartung, and die Lebensspanne: once you know Leben (life) plus Abschnitt (stage), Erwartung (expectation), and Spanne (span), all three compounds unlock at once. For the verb pair, drill geboren and geboren werden together as a unit (ich bin 1990 geboren / ich wurde 1990 geboren), since English "to be born" hides the fact that German treats this as a passive construction. Finally, pair opposites for quick recall: jung/alt, and note verwitmet sits in the same family as ledig or verheiratet even though it's not on this list, so if you've learned marital status words elsewhere, slot this one in with them.
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Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between der Jugendliche and der Erwachsene?
Der Jugendliche is a teenager or young person, typically under 18, while der Erwachsene is a full adult. Both nouns decline like adjectives, so watch endings change with case and article: der Jugendliche but ein Jugendlicher.
Why is die Senioren plural?
In everyday German, die Senioren refers to elderly people as a group, similar to saying "the elderly" in English. There's no common singular form used this way; for one older person you'd say der Senior or der Greis instead.
What is the difference between die Lebenserwartung and die Lebensspanne?
Die Lebenserwartung is life expectancy, a statistical average for how long people are expected to live. Die Lebensspanne is a lifespan, the actual length of one life or a general concept of how long a life can last.
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