Ehegatte

spouse

noun EH-e-gat-te Rare

Also means

husband

Usage Note

Ehegatte is a formal, often legal word for spouse. It is a weak masculine noun (dem Ehegatten); the feminine is Ehegattin. You meet it chiefly in contracts, tax forms and registry offices rather than everyday speech.

Examples

"Der überlebende Ehegatte erbt die Hälfte des Vermögens."

Natural Translation

The surviving spouse inherits half of the estate.

Literal Translation

The surviving spouse inherits the half the fortune.

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