Today's words · 🫂 Comfort & breakups
Heartbreak and hugs: 10 German words for hard times
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A breakup hurts in any language — but knowing the words to comfort someone makes it a little less lonely.
A German friend texts you late at night: “Er hat Schluss gemacht.” Would you understand straight away — and could you reply with something kind in German?
Today's ten words are about breakups and comfort. You'll need them to explain how you feel, and to be there for a friend. A softer side of German today. 💔
📋 The ten words at a glance
- Schluss machen — to stop, finish; to break up (with someone)
- die Trennung — separation; breakup
- der Liebeskummer — lovesickness, heartache
- weinen — to cry, to weep
- vermissen — to miss (sb/sth); to find sth missing
- einsam — lonely
- trösten — to comfort, to console
- der Trost — comfort, consolation
- umarmen — to hug, to embrace
- Geteiltes Leid ist halbes Leid. — a sorrow shared is a sorrow halved
🧠 Words, examples and memory tricks
Schluss machen
[SHLOOSS MAKH-en]to stop, finish; to break up (with someone)(= beenden)
📌 Für heute machen wir Schluss mit der Arbeit.
→ That's enough work for today.
💡 Schluss (end) + machen (make) = make an end 🔚 Said to a partner, it's a breakup!
Bonus to break up with someone = mit jemandem Schluss machen
die Trennung
[TREN-noong]separation; breakup(Pl. die Trennungen)
📌 Nach der Trennung ist er umgezogen.
→ After the breakup he moved away.
💡 trennen (to separate) + -ung 💔 -ung means die.
Bonus Same root: die Mülltrennung = sorting your rubbish for recycling
der Liebeskummer
[LEE-bes-koom-er]lovesickness, heartache(Sg.)
📌 Seit der Trennung hat sie großen Liebeskummer.
→ She has been heartbroken since the break-up.
💡 Liebe (love) + Kummer (sorrow) = love sorrow 🥀 The last part makes it der.
⚠ No plural: Sie hat Liebeskummer.
weinen
[VINE-en]to cry, to weep(weint – hat geweint)
📌 Warum weinst du?
→ Why are you crying?
💡 Saying “bye-bye” can make you weinen 😢
Bonus to cry with joy = vor Freude weinen
vermissen
[fair-MISS-en]to miss (sb/sth); to find sth missing(vermisst – hat vermisst)
📌 Ich vermisse meine Familie.
→ I miss my family.
💡 Same root as English miss 🫶 Ich vermisse dich. = I miss you.
⚠ Missing a bus isn't vermissen — that's verpassen!
einsam
[INE-zahm]lonely(einsam – einsamer – am einsamsten)
📌 Am Anfang habe ich mich einsam gefühlt.
→ At first I felt lonely.
💡 ein (one) + -sam, like lonesome 🌧️
⚠ allein = alone, einsam = lonely. You can be alone without being lonely!
trösten
[TRUH-sten]to comfort, to console(tröstet – hat getröstet)
📌 Die Mutter tröstet das weinende Kind.
→ The mother comforts the crying child.
💡 The verb from der Trost 🤲 A cousin of trust — comfort gives you something to lean on.
Bonus It takes the accusative: Ich tröste dich.
der Trost
[TROHST]comfort, consolation(Sg.)
📌 Deine Worte waren mir ein großer Trost.
→ Your words were a great comfort to me.
💡 Same root as English trust 🫂 Trost is the firm ground you can lean on.
Bonus Half joking: Bist du noch bei Trost? = Are you out of your mind?
umarmen
[oom-AR-men]to hug, to embrace(umarmt – hat umarmt)
📌 Zur Begrüßung umarmt sie ihre Freundin.
→ She hugs her friend to say hello.
💡 um (around) + Arm = wrap your arms around 🤗 You can see the arm in the word!
⚠ Not separable: Ich umarme dich.
Geteiltes Leid ist halbes Leid.
[guh-TILE-tes LITE ist HAL-bes LITE]a sorrow shared is a sorrow halved📌 Erzähl mir ruhig, was los ist – geteiltes Leid ist halbes Leid.
→ Go on, tell me what's wrong – a sorrow shared is a sorrow halved.
💡 Shared (geteilt) sorrow (Leid) is half (halb) 💞 Maths for the heart!
Bonus Its partner: Geteilte Freude ist doppelte Freude. = Shared joy is double joy.
🇩🇪 A spoonful of German culture
Among friends, Germans often hug to say hello. When someone is sad, a quiet hug (umarmen) can say more than words.
To cheer someone up, people say Kopf hoch! (Chin up!). The title of an old pop song, “Liebeskummer lohnt sich nicht” (heartache isn't worth it), is still quoted half-jokingly.
If things feel too heavy to carry alone, there's a phone helpline called TelefonSeelsorge. It's free and anonymous, and someone is there to listen day and night. 🕯️
✅ Quick quiz
Q. Your friend has just broken up and is crying. What's the best thing to say?
- ① Ich habe den Bus vermisst.
- ② Geteiltes Leid ist halbes Leid – erzähl mal.
- ③ Mach doch Schluss mit der Arbeit!
Show the answer
② Geteiltes Leid ist halbes Leid – erzähl mal.
It gently invites your friend to talk, because a sorrow shared is a sorrow halved.
Say Ich vermisse dich. out loud for someone you miss today. Even better, send it to them! 💌
🔜 Tomorrow's topic: 😲 Reactions