Appearance
Vocab: Body — B2 ​
Body vocabulary at B2 level.
Maskulin Feminin Neutrum Plural
angeboren — congenital, innate, inborn ​
Angeboren means present from birth and is especially common with medical conditions or abilities. Do not confuse it with geboren, which means born and describes the event or fact of birth.
Die Fähigkeit ist angeboren.
The ability is innate.
die Fähigkeit means the ability, and ist means is. Angeboren is predicative after ist, so it has no adjective ending; the finite verb ist stands in position two.
Das Kind hat eine angeborene Herzkrankheit.
The child has a congenital heart disease.
das Kind means the child, eine Herzkrankheit means a heart disease, and hat means has. Eine angeborene Herzkrankheit is accusative because haben takes a direct object; the feminine indefinite-article pattern gives angeborene the ending -e.
Diese Fähigkeit ist nicht angeboren, sondern erlernt.
This ability is not innate but learned.
diese Fähigkeit means this ability, nicht means not, and erlernt means learned. Angeboren is normally not gradable because something is either present from birth or it is not; sondern introduces the correction after nicht.
Die Ă„rztin untersuchte die angeborene Fehlbildung.
The doctor examined the congenital malformation.
die Ă„rztin means the female doctor, untersuchte means examined, and die Fehlbildung is the malformation. Die angeborene Fehlbildung is accusative after untersuchen; angeboren has no normal superlative because it describes an absolute condition.
erröten — to blush, to turn red ​
This is an intransitive verb describing a change of state, so its perfect uses sein: erröten - errötete - ist errötet. The common expressions vor Scham erröten and bei einer Rede erröten describe the reason or situation, not an object.
Er errötet vor Scham.
He blushes with embarrassment.
vor Scham means with embarrassment or shame. vor takes the dative here because it expresses the reason for the reaction, and the intransitive verb errötet stands in position two.
Er ist vor Scham errötet.
He has blushed with embarrassment.
vor Scham means with embarrassment or shame. The perfect uses ist plus errötet, not hat, because erröten describes a change of state; the Partizip II goes to the end.
Er errötete, als alle ihn ansahen.
He blushed when everyone looked at him.
als means when, alle means everyone, and ansahen means looked at. The main-clause verb errötete stands in position two, while the subordinate-clause verb ansahen goes to the end; ihn is accusative after ansehen.
Erröte nicht!
Don't blush!
nicht means not. The imperative erröte stands first with du omitted, and nicht comes after it; in real use this command is often playful because blushing is involuntary.
Wenn sie weniger nervös wäre, errötete sie nicht so schnell.
If she were less nervous, she would not blush so quickly.
weniger nervös means less nervous and so schnell means so quickly. The conditional form errötete stands in position two in the main clause, while wäre goes to the end of the wenn clause; nicht negates the reaction.
Sie wird bei der Rede erröten.
She will blush during the speech.
bei der Rede means during the speech; bei takes the dative. Future uses wird plus the infinitive erröten at the end, and the verb has no direct object.
das Haupt — head (formal or literary); main part, principal part ​
das Haupt is a formal or literary word for der Kopf, head. Its plural die Häupter is also formal and is often used for the heads or leaders of groups.
Das Haupt des Königs war bedeckt.
The king’s head was covered.
des Königs means of the king, and bedeckt means covered. Das Haupt is nominative because it is the subject, while des Königs is genitive to show possession; the finite verb war is in position two.
Sie hob das Haupt.
She raised her head.
hob means raised, and sie means she. das Haupt is accusative because heben takes a direct object; the finite verb hob stands in position two.
Er legte seinem Haupt eine Hand auf.
He placed a hand on his head.
legte ... auf means placed on, seinem means his, and eine Hand means a hand. seinem Haupt is dative for the location of the hand, while eine Hand is accusative as the object; the separable verb auflegen splits in the main clause.
Die Krone des Hauptes war aus Gold.
The crown of the head was made of gold.
die Krone means the crown, and aus Gold means made of gold. des Hauptes is genitive because it specifies whose crown it is; Haupt takes -es in this genitive form.
Die müden Häupter ruhten auf den Kissen.
The tired heads rested on the pillows.
müden means tired, ruhten means rested, and den Kissen means the pillows. Häupter is the plural subject; auf den Kissen is dative because it describes a fixed location, not movement.
Das Haupt der Armee lag im Norden.
The main body of the army was in the north.
der Armee means of the army, lag means lay or was located, and im Norden means in the north. Das Haupt is the nominative subject, while der Armee is genitive; the finite verb lag stands in position two.
Das Hauptproblem ist noch nicht gelöst.
The main problem has not yet been solved.
Hauptproblem means main problem, noch nicht means not yet, and gelöst means solved. Haupt is normally used this way as the first part of a compound; the finite verb ist is in position two and gelöst completes the predicate.
der Leib — body, physical body; body, especially the body of Christ ​
This word is more literary and formal than der Körper and often appears in set phrases. It can sound solemn when referring to a person's body.
Nach dem Lauf tat mir der ganze Leib weh.
After the run, my whole body hurt.
der Lauf is the run, der ganze Leib means the whole body, and weh tun means to hurt. mir is dative because the pain affects the person; the finite verb tat is in position two, while weh stands at the end of the clause.
Der Arzt untersuchte den Leib des Patienten.
The doctor examined the patient's body.
der Arzt is the doctor, untersuchen means to examine, and der Patient is the patient. den Leib is accusative because untersuchen takes a direct object; des Patienten is genitive and means of the patient.
Sie legte ihm die Hand auf den Leib.
She put her hand on his body.
legen means to put, die Hand is the hand, and ihm means to him. ihm is dative as the recipient, while auf den Leib is accusative because the hand is being moved onto the body; legte is in position two.
Die Stärke des Leibes beeindruckte ihn.
The strength of the body impressed him.
die Stärke is the strength, beeindrucken means to impress, and ihn means him. des Leibes is genitive because it specifies whose strength it is; ihn is accusative because he is the person impressed.
Die Leiber der Gefallenen wurden geborgen.
The bodies of the fallen were recovered.
der Gefallenen means of the fallen, and geborgen means recovered or brought to safety. Die Leiber is the plural subject; wurden geborgen is the passive, with the participle geborgen at the end.
Die Gläubigen empfangen den Leib Christi.
The believers receive the body of Christ.
die Gläubigen are the believers, empfangen means receive, and Christi means of Christ. den Leib Christi is accusative because empfangen takes a direct object; the phrase is a formal religious expression.
Der Priester sprach vom Leib Christi.
The priest spoke about the body of Christ.
der Priester is the priest, sprechen von means to speak about, and Christi means of Christ. vom Leib is dative because von always takes the dative; sprach is the past-tense form of sprechen.
die Ohrmuschel — outer ear, auricle ​
This is the anatomical term for the visible outer ear. In everyday speech, people often simply say Ohr when the exact anatomical part is not important.
Die Ohrmuschel ist leicht gerötet.
The outer ear is slightly red.
leicht means slightly, and gerötet means reddened. Die Ohrmuschel is nominative because it is the subject; the finite verb ist stands in position two.
Der Arzt untersucht die Ohrmuschel.
The doctor examines the outer ear.
der Arzt means the doctor, and untersuchen means to examine. Die Ohrmuschel is accusative because untersuchen takes a direct object; the finite verb untersucht is in position two.
Der Arzt gibt der Ohrmuschel besondere Aufmerksamkeit.
The doctor gives special attention to the outer ear.
besondere Aufmerksamkeit means special attention, and gibt means gives. Der Ohrmuschel is dative because it is the recipient or focus of geben, while besondere Aufmerksamkeit is accusative.
Die Haut der Ohrmuschel ist empfindlich.
The skin of the outer ear is sensitive.
die Haut means the skin, and empfindlich means sensitive. Der Ohrmuschel is genitive because it tells whose skin is meant; the finite verb ist stands in position two.
Beide Ohrmuscheln waren stark gerötet.
Both outer ears were very red.
beide means both, and stark means strongly or very. Ohrmuscheln is the plural nominative subject; the finite verb waren stands in position two.
die Rückenmuskulatur — back musculature, back muscles ​
RĂĽckenmuskulatur is a compound made from RĂĽcken (back) and Muskulatur (musculature). It is normally a singular mass noun with no plural; for separate muscles, use RĂĽckenmuskeln.
Die Rückenmuskulatur braucht regelmäßiges Training.
The back muscles need regular training.
braucht means needs, regelmäßig means regular, and Training means training. Die Rückenmuskulatur is nominative because it is the subject, while regelmäßiges Training is accusative because it is what the muscles need.
Physiotherapeuten trainieren die RĂĽckenmuskulatur.
Physiotherapists train the back muscles.
Physiotherapeuten are physiotherapists, and trainieren means train or exercise. Die RĂĽckenmuskulatur is accusative because it is the direct object; the finite verb trainieren stands in position two.
Mit einer starken RĂĽckenmuskulatur sitzt man besser.
With strong back muscles, you sit better.
mit means with, stark means strong, and sitzt man besser means one sits better. Mit einer starken RĂĽckenmuskulatur is dative because mit always takes the dative; the adjective ending -en agrees with the feminine dative article einer.
Die Stärkung der Rückenmuskulatur ist wichtig.
Strengthening the back muscles is important.
die Stärkung means the strengthening, and wichtig means important. Der Rückenmuskulatur is genitive because it identifies what is being strengthened; the whole phrase Die Stärkung der Rückenmuskulatur is the subject.
Ă„rzte empfehlen Ăśbungen fĂĽr die RĂĽckenmuskulatur.
Doctors recommend exercises for the back muscles.
Ă„rzte means doctors, empfehlen means recommend, and Ăśbungen are exercises. FĂĽr die RĂĽckenmuskulatur uses accusative because fĂĽr always takes the accusative, and the phrase describes the exercises' purpose.