geboren

Definition & meaning

geboren means born—having come into the world. It is commonly used to state someone’s birth date or place:

• Sie ist 2001 geboren. — She was born in 2001.
• Er wurde in Wien geboren. — He was born in Vienna.

It can also mean by birth or native to a place, as in ein geborener Berliner—a Berliner by birth.

In the expression zum Künstler geboren sein, it means naturally suited or destined to be an artist.

Grammar & word origin

geboren is the past participle of gebären ↗, “to give birth.” Its principal forms are gebären – gebar – geboren. It is often used as an adjective or in a passive construction:

• ein neugeborenes Kind — a newborn child
• Das Kind wurde im Mai geboren. — The child was born in May.

Synonyms & antonyms

• zur Welt gekommen ↗ — “come into the world”; a close, somewhat more descriptive equivalent.
• gebürtig ↗ — “native to” or “originally from”; it describes someone’s place of origin rather than simply the fact of being born.
• ungeboren ↗ — “unborn”; a direct opposite when referring to someone who has not yet been born.

Common phrases & collocations

• geboren werden ↗ — to be born
• in Berlin geboren sein ↗ — to have been born in Berlin
• zum Musiker geboren sein ↗ — to be born to be a musician / naturally suited to being a musician