erkranken

fall ill

verb er-KRAN-ken Less Common

Usage Note

erkranken is the formal verb for becoming sick, common in medical and news contexts; everyday speech prefers krank werden. It takes an plus dative for the illness: an Grippe erkranken ('come down with the flu'). It forms its perfect with sein, not haben.

Examples

"Viele erkranken im Winter an Grippe."

Natural Translation

Many fall ill with the flu in winter.

Literal Translation

Many fall-ill in winter with flu.

Free starter pack

Building your German vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common German words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

German Compound Words: How to Read Any Long Word

Read any long German word by working right-to-left: the last noun sets the meaning and gender, and the small linking letters are just glue. Here's the drill.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

Weil vs Denn vs Da: "Because" in German

Weil and da send the verb to the end; denn keeps it in second position. Here's how to pick the right German "because" and place the verb correctly.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Separable Verbs: When the Prefix Splits

German separable verbs split in two: the verb stays near the front and the prefix flies to the end. Learn the stress test and where every piece goes.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

GermanNow

German Body Parts: Vocabulary + How to Say It Hurts

Learn German body parts with der/die/das and plurals, plus the two ways to say something hurts: Mir tut der Kopf weh and Ich habe Kopfschmerzen.

June 9, 2026 5 min read