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Vocab: Feelings — B2 ​
Feelings vocabulary at B2 level.
Maskulin Feminin Neutrum Plural
das Elend — misery; extreme poverty ​
das Elend is a mass noun for severe suffering or poverty and normally has no plural. The genitive singular is des Elends; do not confuse this noun with the adjective elend, meaning miserable.
Das Elend der Familie war schwer zu ertragen.
The family’s misery was difficult to bear.
die Familie means the family, and schwer zu ertragen means difficult to bear. Das Elend is nominative because it is the subject, while der Familie is genitive and shows whose misery is meant.
Viele Menschen sehen das Elend täglich.
Many people see misery every day.
viele Menschen means many people, and täglich means every day. das Elend is accusative because sehen takes a direct object; the finite verb sehen stands in position two.
In diesem Elend konnte er nicht bleiben.
He could not stay in this misery.
in diesem Elend means in this misery, and bleiben means to stay. in takes the dative here because it describes a fixed situation rather than movement, and the modal verb konnte is in position two while bleiben goes to the end.
Die Ursachen des Elends sind vielfältig.
The causes of misery are varied.
die Ursachen means the causes, and vielfältig means varied. des Elends is genitive because it specifies the causes of what; Elend adds -s in the genitive singular.
das Entsetzen — horror; terror; dismay ​
das Entsetzen is a strong emotional reaction and is usually uncountable, so it normally has no plural. Do not confuse it with der Entschluss, which means decision.
Das Entsetzen war allen ins Gesicht geschrieben.
The horror was written on everyone's face.
ins Gesicht geschrieben means written on the face, and allen means everyone in the dative. Das Entsetzen is nominative because it is the subject; the finite verb war stands in position two, and this abstract noun normally has no plural.
Sie konnte ihr Entsetzen nicht verbergen.
She could not hide her horror.
konnte means could, and verbergen means hide. ihr Entsetzen is accusative because it is the object of verbergen; with the modal verb konnte, the infinitive goes to the end.
Er begegnete dem Entsetzen der anderen.
He came face to face with the horror of the others.
begegnen means encounter or come face to face with, and die anderen means the others. dem Entsetzen is dative because begegnen requires the dative; der anderen is genitive and means of the others.
Die Ursache des Entsetzens blieb unklar.
The cause of the horror remained unclear.
die Ursache means the cause, and blieb unklar means remained unclear. des Entsetzens is genitive because it identifies what caused the horror; the ending -s is added to this neuter noun in the genitive.
Die Bilder lösten großes Entsetzen aus.
The images caused great horror.
die Bilder means the images, großes means great, and auslösen means cause or trigger. Entsetzen is an uncountable abstract noun here, so it has no plural; the separable verb appears as lösten ... aus in the main clause.
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.
erschüttert — deeply shaken; shocked ​
erschüttert is often stronger than traurig: it describes a serious emotional shock. It is also historically related to the verb erschüttern, but as an adjective it normally describes a person’s state with sein.
Sie war von der Nachricht erschĂĽttert.
She was deeply shaken by the news.
die Nachricht means the news. von der Nachricht uses the dative because von always takes the dative, and erschĂĽttert follows war as a predicative adjective.
Die erschĂĽtterte Familie sprach mit der Presse.
The deeply shaken family spoke to the press.
die Familie means the family, and die Presse means the press or media. erschĂĽtterte comes before the feminine noun and has the ending -e after die; mit der Presse is dative because mit takes the dative.
Er war nach dem Unfall noch erschĂĽtterter als zuvor.
After the accident, he was even more shaken than before.
der Unfall means the accident, noch means even or still, and zuvor means before that. erschĂĽtterter compares his state with an earlier state, while nach dem Unfall has dative after nach.
Von allen Zeugen war sie am erschĂĽttertesten.
Of all the witnesses, she was the most shaken.
alle Zeugen means all the witnesses, and von allen Zeugen means of all the witnesses. von takes the dative, and am erschĂĽttertesten is the predicative superlative after war.
ertragen — to bear, endure, tolerate ​
Ertragen is a strong verb with the principal parts ertragen – ertrug – hat ertragen. It normally takes an accusative object and is used for pain, noise, pressure, heat, or another unpleasant experience; its inseparable prefix er- means the Partizip II has no ge-.
Ich kann ertragen, was passiert ist.
I can bear what happened.
kann means can, and was passiert ist means what happened. Ertragen takes an accusative object, here the clause was passiert ist; after the modal verb kann, the infinitive goes to the end.
Sie hat den Lärm nicht ertragen.
She could not bear the noise.
der Lärm means the noise, and nicht means not. Den Lärm is accusative because ertragen takes a direct object; the perfect uses hat plus ertragen, with the participle at the end, and the inseparable prefix does not add ge-.
Er ertrug die lange Wartezeit geduldig.
He patiently endured the long wait.
die lange Wartezeit means the long waiting time, and geduldig means patiently. Ertrug is the strong preterite and stands in position two; die lange Wartezeit is accusative as the object of ertragen.
Ertrag die Kälte noch ein bisschen.
Bear the cold a little longer.
die Kälte means the cold, and noch ein bisschen means a little longer. Ertrag is the du imperative and the subject is omitted; die Kälte is accusative because ertragen takes an accusative object.
Ich wĂĽrde ertragen, wenn du mich unterstĂĽtzen wĂĽrdest.
I would bear it if you supported me.
wenn means if, and unterstĂĽtzen means support. WĂĽrde ertragen is the common conversational Konjunktiv II construction; the finite form wĂĽrde is in position two in the main clause, while wĂĽrdest goes to the end of the subordinate clause.
Wir werden den Druck gemeinsam ertragen.
We will endure the pressure together.
der Druck means the pressure, and gemeinsam means together. Den Druck is accusative because ertragen takes a direct object; in the future, werden is finite in position two and the infinitive ertragen goes to the end.
offenherzig — open-hearted, frank ​
This adjective describes a person who speaks honestly and warmly about personal matters. It is usually positive, but offenherzig can suggest that someone shares more private information than expected.
Sie ist sehr offenherzig.
She is very open-hearted.
sehr means very. The adjective is predicative after sein, so it has no ending; the finite verb ist stands in position two.
Er hat mir eine offenherzige Antwort gegeben.
He gave me an open and honest answer.
mir means to me and die Antwort is the answer. Eine offenherzige Antwort is accusative as the thing given, while mir is dative because geben gives something to someone; the adjective has the ending -e after eine.
Meine Schwester ist offenherziger als ich.
My sister is more open-hearted than I am.
meine Schwester is my sister and als means than. The comparative is formed with -er and is predicative after ist, so it has no adjective ending; als ich introduces the comparison.
Von allen Freunden ist Lea am offenherzigsten.
Of all the friends, Lea is the most open-hearted.
von allen Freunden means of all the friends. The predicative superlative uses am ...-sten and has no adjective ending; the preposition von forces the dative plural Freunden.
traumhaft — dreamlike, fantastic; dreamlike, unreal ​
In everyday language, traumhaft often means fantastic or wonderful, not literally dreamlike. It can describe a real experience, place or result.
Der Urlaub war traumhaft.
The holiday was fantastic.
Der Urlaub means the holiday, and war means was. Traumhaft is predicative after war and therefore has no adjective ending; the finite verb war is in position two.
Wir hatten einen traumhaften Blick aufs Meer.
We had a fantastic view of the sea.
Wir hatten means we had, einen Blick is a view, and aufs Meer means of the sea. Traumhaften describes the masculine accusative noun Blick after einen, so it takes -en; hatten is in position two.
Dieser Strand ist traumhafter als der andere.
This beach is more fantastic than the other one.
Dieser Strand means this beach, and der andere means the other one. Traumhafter is the comparative after ist, and comparisons use als, not wie, when the two things are unequal.
Die Aussicht ist am traumhaftesten.
The view is the most fantastic.
Die Aussicht means the view. Am traumhaftesten is the predicative superlative with am; it does not take a noun ending here, and ist remains in position two.
Das Licht im Wald wirkte traumhaft.
The light in the forest seemed dreamlike.
Das Licht means the light, im Wald means in the forest, and wirkte means seemed. Traumhaft is predicative after wirkte, so it has no adjective ending; im Wald is dative because in describes a fixed location.
Sie malte eine traumhafte Landschaft.
She painted a dreamlike landscape.
Sie malte means she painted, and eine Landschaft is a landscape. Traumhafte describes the feminine accusative object Landschaft after eine; the finite verb malte stands in position two.
verdrängen — to push out; to suppress; to repress; to suppress ​
For the physical meaning, verdrängen takes an accusative object: jemanden or etwas verdrängen. In the psychological meaning, it often means consciously or unconsciously refusing to think about something.
Neue Geschäfte verdrängen die kleinen Läden.
New businesses are pushing the small shops out.
neue Geschäfte means new businesses, and kleine Läden means small shops. die kleinen Läden is accusative because verdrängen takes a direct object, while the finite verb verdrängen stands in position two.
Der Onlinehandel hat viele Fachgeschäfte verdrängt.
Online retail has pushed many specialist shops out.
der Onlinehandel means online retail, and Fachgeschäfte are specialist shops. viele Fachgeschäfte is accusative because it is the object of verdrängt; hat is in position two and verdrängt goes to the end.
Der Konzern verdrängte die Konkurrenz aus der Region.
The corporation drove the competition out of the region.
der Konzern means the corporation, die Konkurrenz means the competition, and die Region means the region. die Konkurrenz is accusative because verdrängte takes a direct object, while aus takes the dative here for the place something is removed from.
Verdräng deine Sorgen nicht.
Do not suppress your worries.
deine Sorgen means your worries, and nicht means not. deine Sorgen is accusative because it is the object of the imperative verdräng; the negative word usually comes after the object in this short command.
Sie verdrängte die Erinnerung, als wäre nichts passiert.
She repressed the memory as if nothing had happened.
die Erinnerung means the memory, and als wäre nichts passiert means as if nothing had happened. The clause is an unreal comparison: wäre is Konjunktiv II, while die Erinnerung is accusative as the object of verdrängte.
Die Technik wird alte Berufe verdrängen.
Technology will push old occupations out.
die Technik means technology, and alte Berufe means old occupations. alte Berufe is accusative because it is the object of verdrängen; wird occupies position two and the infinitive goes to the end.
Er verdrängt, dass er einen Fehler gemacht hat.
He is repressing the fact that he made a mistake.
einen Fehler gemacht means made a mistake, and dass introduces a that-clause. The whole dass-clause is the object of verdrängt, and its finite verb hat goes to the end.
Viele Menschen verdrängen ihre Angst vor Veränderungen.
Many people suppress their fear of change.
viele Menschen means many people, ihre Angst means their fear, and Veränderungen means changes. ihre Angst is accusative because it is the object of verdrängen; vor takes the dative here, with Veränderungen in the plural.
der Vorwurf — accusation; reproach; criticism; formal accusation; charge ​
The common expression jemandem einen Vorwurf machen takes the person in the dative and the reproach in the accusative. A Vorwurf can be a personal reproach or a more formal accusation.
Der Vorwurf ist nicht gerecht.
The accusation is not fair.
nicht gerecht means not fair. Der Vorwurf is nominative because it is the subject; the finite verb ist stands in position two.
Ich weise den Vorwurf zurĂĽck.
I reject the accusation.
weisen ... zurĂĽck means reject, and nicht is not needed because the verb itself expresses rejection. Den Vorwurf is accusative because zurĂĽckweisen takes a direct object; the separable prefix zurĂĽck goes to the end.
Sie macht ihrem Bruder einen Vorwurf.
She reproaches her brother.
machen means make, ihrem Bruder means to her brother, and einen Vorwurf machen means to reproach someone. Ihrem Bruder is dative as the person receiving the reproach, while einen Vorwurf is accusative.
Der Inhalt des Vorwurfs bleibt unklar.
The content of the accusation remains unclear.
der Inhalt is the content and bleibt unklar means remains unclear. Des Vorwurfs is genitive because it identifies the content's source; the masculine noun adds -s in this case.
Die VorwĂĽrfe gegen den Arzt waren schwerwiegend.
The accusations against the doctor were serious.
gegen den Arzt means against the doctor, and schwerwiegend means serious or severe. VorwĂĽrfe is plural nominative as the subject; den Arzt is accusative after gegen.
Nach dem Streit erhob er mehrere VorwĂĽrfe.
After the argument, he made several accusations.
nach dem Streit means after the argument, erhob means raised or made, and mehrere means several. Dem Streit is dative after nach, while mehrere VorwĂĽrfe is accusative as the object of erheben.
Die Staatsanwaltschaft prĂĽft die VorwĂĽrfe gegen das Unternehmen.
The public prosecutor's office is investigating the accusations against the company.
die Staatsanwaltschaft is the public prosecutor's office, prĂĽft means examines or investigates, and das Unternehmen is the company. Die VorwĂĽrfe is accusative because prĂĽfen takes a direct object, and das Unternehmen is accusative after gegen.
Der Minister wies den Vorwurf des Betrugs zurĂĽck.
The minister rejected the accusation of fraud.
der Minister is the minister, Betrug means fraud, and wies ... zurĂĽck means rejected. Den Vorwurf is accusative as the object of zurĂĽckweisen; des Betrugs is genitive after the noun to specify what the accusation concerns.