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German vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "failure" in German?
das Scheitern
In German, "failure" is das Scheitern.
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Pronunciation
Pronounced 'SHY-tern', stress on the first syllable, with 'ei' as an eye sound and 'sch' as sh.
Grammar notes
das Scheitern is neuter. Plural: das Fehlschläge.
Example sentence
Er hat viel aus seinem frühen Misserfolg gelernt.
He learned a lot from his early failure.
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How to remember das Scheitern
Das Scheitern comes from scheitern, to fail or run aground — imagine a ship hitting rocks and shattering, which is close to the old sense of the word.
Related words
- freedom die Freiheit
- justice die Gerechtigkeit
- peace der Frieden
- equality die Gleichheit
- opportunity die Gelegenheit
- responsibility die Verantwortung
- challenge die Herausforderung
- tradition die Tradition
- culture die Kultur
Browse all German words in the glossary.
Questions about das Scheitern
How do you say "failure" in German?
In German, "failure" is das Scheitern. It is a noun.
Is das Scheitern masculine, feminine, or neuter?
das Scheitern is neuter. Plural: das Fehlschläge.
How is das Scheitern used in a sentence?
Use das Scheitern as you would use the equivalent noun in English. For example: Er hat viel aus seinem frühen Misserfolg gelernt. (He learned a lot from his early failure.).
Where can I practice German words for free?
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"Failure" in other languages
Curated by Jack Ratcliffe
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