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nounnoun

der Sterbefall, ¨-e

death

Definition & meaning

Sterbefall means a death or a death case, especially in formal, administrative, statistical, legal, or medical contexts. It refers to the occurrence of a person’s death rather than to death as an abstract concept.

Examples of use:

  • Der Sterbefall wurde dem Standesamt gemeldet. — The death was reported to the registry office.
  • Die Zahl der Sterbefälle ist gestiegen. — The number of deaths has increased.

The word is more formal and bureaucratic than everyday expressions such as “someone died.”

Grammar & Word origin

  • Article: der Sterbefall
  • Plural: die Sterbefälle
  • Gender: masculine
  • Pronunciation: [ˈʃtɛʁbəˌfal]

It is a compound of:

  • sterben [sterben ] — to die
  • Fall [Fall ] — case or occurrence

Literally, Sterbefall means “a case of dying.” The component Fall is used here in the sense of an event or case, not a physical fall.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

  • Todesfall [Todesfall ] — death, fatality, or death case. This is the closest common synonym and is also used in formal contexts. It focuses more directly on the person’s death.
  • Ableben [Ableben ] — passing away or death. This is a formal and often somewhat euphemistic noun, while Sterbefall emphasizes the administrative event.
  • Tod [Tod ] — death. This is the general abstract term and is broader than Sterbefall.

Antonyms

There is no exact everyday antonym for Sterbefall. In demographic and administrative contexts, it may be contrasted with:

  • Geburtsfall [Geburtsfall ] — a birth case or registered birth. This is a technical counterpart rather than a common antonym.
  • Geburt [Geburt ] — birth. This is the conceptual opposite of death, but it does not match the formal “case/event” meaning as precisely.

Common phrases & collocations

  • ein Sterbefall tritt ein [ein Sterbefall tritt ein ] — a death occurs
  • einen Sterbefall melden [einen Sterbefall melden ] — to report a death
  • den Sterbefall anzeigen [den Sterbefall anzeigen ] — to officially register or report a death
  • im Falle eines Sterbefalls [im Falle eines Sterbefalls ] — in the event of a death
  • die Zahl der Sterbefälle [die Zahl der Sterbefälle ] — the number of deaths

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Examples

Es gibt einen Sterbefall in der Nachbarschaft.noun

There is a death in the neighborhood.

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